mm: 


iMM:^?B' '■:■■'': '■'■ 


i'!i^?-\i:'''ii:5:'^''-''  ■"■■    ■■ 

ny  ■..,«,\. ■.'.,'?;'■. 


f:^!^:?S?;:W! 


m 


NOr ...-.•  .1.V.',V 


k 


.^p<mL 


THE   CENTRAL  TEACHING 


JESUS    CHRIST 


A  STUDY  AND    EXPOSITION 

OF  THE  FIVE  CHAPTERS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  ACCORDING 
TO  ST.  JOHN,  XIII.  TO  XVII.  INCLUSI\^ 


BY  y^ 

THOMAS  DEHANY  BERNAED,  M.A. 

Canon  and  Chancellor  of  Wells 
Author  of  "The  Progress  op  Doctrine  in  the  New  Testament 
Bampton  Lectures,  186-1 


Ncto  godt 
MACMILLAN    AND    CO. 

AND     LONDON 

1892 

All  rights  reserved 


CoPTniGHT,    1892, 

By  MACMILLAN   AND   CO. 


TVPOGRAPHV    BY    J.    S.    CuSHING    &    Co.,    BOSTON,   U.S.A. 

Presswork  by  Berwick  &  Smith,  Boston,  U.S.A. 


PREFACE 

This  book  had  its  origin  in  some  lectures  deliv- 
ered under  a  Diocesan  scheme  of  "  Hignher  Religf- 
ious  Education."  Having  afterwards  undertaken 
to  put  in  a  readable  shape  the  lines  for  the  study 
of  this  part  of  Holy  Scripture  which  had  been  then 
suggested,  I  soon  found  myself  enlarging  upon 
those  notes,  and  exceeding  the  brief  treatment 
proposed.  In  the  holy  atmosphere  of  that  record, 
in  presence  of  the  solemn  crisis  to  which  it  belongs, 
of  the  touching  incidents,  the  wide  range  of  dis- 
course, and  the  deep  significance  of  its  words,  a 
more  anxious  study  and  a  more  deliberate  exposition 
were  naturally  created.  Thus  a  fuller  treatment 
became  inevitable,  as  attention  was  more  closely 
given  to  the  divisions  and  connections  of  discourse, 
to  the  distinctions  and  relations  of  topics,  to  the 
twofold  character  of  words  addressed  to  hearers  at 
the  moment,  and  consigned  to  the  Church  forever, 
and  especially  to  the  central  place  of  this  teaching 
in  the  whole  doctrine  of  Christ,  and  consequently 
to  the  transitional  office   which  it  fulfils   in   the 


PREFACE 


development  of  the  scheme  of  the  Gospel.  Thus 
it  was  that  the  notes  of  lectures  became  a  book. 

I  was  the  more  inclined  to  prosecute  this  work 
for  two  reasons,  one  literary  and  the  other  per- 
sonal. 

In  ranging  through  the  literature  of  the  subject, 
I  did  not  find  that  there  is  any  book  which  does 
precisely  what  is  here  intended.  Certainly  a 
student  has  abundant  aids,  both  exegetical  and 
homiletical.  In  the  multitude  of  Commentaries  on 
the  Fourth  Gospel  this  section  has  its  place ;  and 
its  texts  and  topics  have  been  treated  in  countless 
sermons,  lectures,  and  meditations.  But  I  doubt 
whether  there  is  any  one  book  which  at  once  covers 
the  ground  and  is  conterminous  with  it ;  one  that 
treats  it  as  a  whole  in  itself,  in  the  way  both  of 
interpretation  and  reflection.  If  there  be  no  such 
book,  it  is  fit  that  thei-e  should  be  one,  and  of  a 
kind  suited  for  reading  rather  than  for  reference. 
Under  this  impression  I  applied  m3^self  more 
willingly  to  a  task  which  did  not  appear  to  be 
superfluous. 

At  the  same  time  it  was  in  my  own  mind  the 
return  to  an  idea  which  had  occurred  a  quarter  of 
a  century  before.  In  preparing  the  Bampton  Lect- 
ures for  1864,  on  "  The  Progress  of  Doctrine  in 
the  New  Testament,"  my  thoughts  were  occupied 
with  the  advancing  revelation  of  Christ,  as  it  lies 
before  us  developed  in  the  canonical  books;  and 


PREFACE  vii 

no  part  of  that  scheme  impressed  me  so  deeply  as 
did  the  office  of  those  five  cliapters  of  St.  John, 
which  close  the  teaching  of  Christ  in  the  flesh  and 
introduce  the  teaching  of  Christ  in  the  Spirit. 
After  completing  such  review  of  the  whole  sub- 
ject (alas !  under  very  disabling  conditions,  and 
with  sadly  imperfect  effect !)  my  thoughts  reverted 
to  that  central  stage  of  advance  more  frequently 
than  to  any  other.  But  the  further  treatment  of 
such  a  subject  required  leisure  which  was  not  to 
be  had.  One  who,  in  a  great  pastoral  charge,  is 
engaged  without  cessation  as  preacher  and  teacher, 
in  the  practical  ministry  of  the  Word,  must  be 
deeply  thankful  for  that  kind  of  study  of  it  which 
daily  occasions  demand ;  yet  he  may  often  glance 
wistfully  at  paths  of  inquiry  which  he  would  have 
followed,  had  the  duty  of  the  hour  permitted,  or 
pass  on  by  fields  of  thought,  in  which  he  feels  he 
could  have  expatiated  with  pleasure,  or  imagines 
that  he  could  have  reaped  with  advantage.  If  such 
liberty  comes  at  last,  it  is  often  under  bodily  or 
mental  conditions  which  ask  only  for  repose.  But 
if  it  be  not  so,  a  less  exacting  public  ministry  may 
give  opportunity,  not  only  for  a  more  tranquil  study 
of  the  Word,  but  for  some  contribution  to  the 
Church  of  the  kind  which  is  here  attempted.  Per- 
haps it  would  not  be  attempted,  but  for  the  meas- 
ure of  encouragement  derived  from  readers  of  the 
former  work,  to  which  reference  has  been  made. 


PREFACE 


It  is  a  satisfaction  to  me  to  express  my  gratitude 
for  intimations  of  interest  and  fellowship  of  thought 
on  the  part  of  readers  whom  I  have  never  seen, 
both  at  home,  and  still  more  frequently  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Atlantic.  Therefore  I  commend 
these  words  to  my  brothers  and  sisters  in  Christ, 
in  England  and  America,  with  the  hope  that  they 
may,  in  some  cases,  assist  a  tlioughtful  entrance 
into  this  inner  sanctuary  of  the  Written  Word, 
which  has  been  justly  called  "  The  Holiest  of  All." 
There,  not  only  the  writer  but  the  readers,  must 
study  the  words  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  as  feeling  them- 
selves in  his  very  presence,  and  depending  on  the 
Spirit  of  truth,  who,  it  is  here  promised,  shall 
"  teach  5'ou  all  things  "  and  "  guide  you  into  all 
the  truth." 


CONTENTS 


INTRODUCTION  ^^^^ 

I      Central  Teaching        •••••■ 

II.  A  Study  and  Exposition     . 

Part  I 
THE    INCIDENTS 

XIII 

I.  The  Preamble      .■••'' 

II.  At  Supper 

III.  The  Washing  of  the  Eeet 

IV.  The  Detachment  of  Judas 
V.  The  Preliminary  Sayings  .         •         •         • 

VI.     The  Premonition  to  Peter 

Part  II 
THE   DISCOURSES 
FIRST  DISCOURSE 

XIV 

I.  Method  and  Character  .  •  •  • 
II.  The  Foundation  Word  .  •  •  ■ 
III.     The  Final  Prospect    .         •         •         •         • 


31 

42 
59 
74 
88 
100 


113 
123 
129 


CONTENTS 


CHAP. 

IV.  Self-Revelation 

V.  The  Promise  of  Power    . 

VI.  The  Promise  of  the  Paraclete 

VII.  The  Promise  of  Teaching 

VIII.  The  Benediction  of  Peace 

IX.  The  Accepted  End    . 

X.  A  Dividing  Line 


PAGE 

139 
152 
157 
174 
184 
190 
198 


SECOND  DISCOURSE 

XV,    XVI 


XI. 

Life  and  Fruitfulness     . 

.     209 

XII. 

Love  and  Friendship 

.     228 

XIII. 

Enmity  of  the  World 

.     240 

XIV. 

Witness  to  the  World    . 

.     252 

XV. 

Treatment  by  the  World 

.     258 

XVI. 

Conviction  of  the  World 

.     209 

XVII. 

Illumination  of  the  Church  . 

.     283 

XVIII. 

The  Sorrow  and  the  Joy 

.     294 

XIX. 

The  Intercourse  of  the  Future     . 

.     303 

XX. 

The  Last  Words       .... 

Part  III 
THE   PRAYER 

XVII 

.     319 

I. 

Scope  and  Order       .... 

.     331 

II. 

For  His  Work  and  Glory 

.     340 

III. 

For  the  Disciples     .... 

.     359 

IV. 

For  All  Believers  .... 

.     385 

V. 

The  Sequki 

.     407 

INTRODUCTION 


INTRODUCTION 


farewell.  The  story  of  those  days,  told  in  the  other 
Gospels,  is  not  repeated  here.  Only  the  public 
entrance  into  the  city  is  mentioned,  with  two 
characteristic  touches  of  reflection  ;  one  on  the  ful- 
filment of  j)rophecy,  not  perceived  till  "  Jesus  was 
glorified,"  the  other  on  the  connection  of  the  brief 
outburst  of  popular  feeling  with  the  recent  miracle 
at  Bethany,  related  in  the  previous  chapter.  There 
the  writer  passes  at  once  to  an  incident  which  he 
represents  as  final.  Before  the  Lord  quits  the 
Temple  forever,  a  voice  comes  from  beyond  the 
confines  of  Israel,  a  voice  of  Greeks  —  "  We  would 
see  Jesus."  "  The  hour  is  come,"  He  answers, 
"that  the  Son  of  Man  should  be  glorified."  The 
multitudes  of  mankind  rise  before  his  mind,  and 
at  the  same  time  the  anguish  and  the  death  which 
must  be  the  conditions  of  their  salvation.  There 
is  a  conflict,  anticipating  Gethsemane.  There  is  a 
voice  from  heaven.  There  is  a  revealing  word 
which  interprets  the  crisis.  "Now  is  the  judg- 
ment of  this  world :  now  shall  the  prince  of  this 
world  be  cast  out.  And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  out  of 
the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto  myself."  Some 
questions  of  cavil  or  perplexity  are  answered  by  a 
solemn  warning  to  use  such  opportunity  as  may 
yet  be  given.  "  Walk  while  ye  have  the  light, 
that  darkness  overtake  you  not.  .  .  .  While  ye 
have  the  light  believe  in  the  light,  that  ye  may 
become  sons  of  light."     So  ends  the  ministry  to 


INTRODUCTION 


Israel.  "  He  departed  and  hid  Himself  from 
them";  to  be  seen  no  more  in  public,  save  as  led 
out  to  die.  The  Evangelist  now  reviews  that  mis- 
sion as  finished,  and  sums  up  the  result.  "  Though 
He  had  done  so  many  signs  before  them,  yet  they 
believed  not  on  Him."  But  so  it  had  been  pre- 
dicted. Two  passages  are  cited  from  Isaiah,  who 
"saw  his  glory  and  spake  of  Him."  In  one  of 
those  passages  the  Prophet  had  asked,  "  Lord,  how 
long?"  and  been  told  that  the  unbelief  would  last 
till  desolation  came.  The  desolation  had  come  when 
the  Evangelist  wrote.  Yet  it  had  not  been  all  un- 
belief, even  where  it  seemed  to  be  so.  "  Among 
the  chief  rulers  many  believed ;  but  did  not  con- 
fess it,  lest  they  should  be  put  out  of  the  syna- 
gogue, because  they  loved  the  glory  of  men  more 
than  the  glory  of  God."  So  it  was,  despite  the 
solemn  witness  of  Jesus,  that  belief  or  unbelief  in 
Him  and  in  his  words,  was  belief  or  unbelief  in 
God  and  in  words  of  God.  This  assertion  by  the 
Lord  Himself  is  the  seal  which  the  Evangelist 
affixes  to  his  account  of  the  mission  and  its  results. 
That  story  is  finished :  and  the  narrative  at  the 
beginning  of  the  thirteenth  chapter  takes  a  new 
departure,  retiring  within  the  little  company  of 
the  twelve.  There  are  spoken  the  words  con- 
tained in  these  five  chapters ;  and  the  close  of  this 
division  is  as  clearly  marked  as  its  beginning. 
"  When  Jesus  had  spoken  these  words  He  went 


INTRODUCTION 


forth  with  his  disciples  over  the  brook  Kidron, 
where  was  a  garden  into  which  He  entered,"  and 
there  the  Passion  is  begun. 

It  is  therefore  a  separate  portion  of  our  Lord's 
ministry  on  whic'  we  enter  here ;  and  its  impor- 
tance is  evident  from  the  space  which  it  occupies, 
being  little  less  than  a  fourth  of  the  entire  Gospel. 
The  twelve  previous  chapters  cover  a  period  of 
nearly  three  years ;  these  five  are  records  of  a 
single  evening.  In  those  we  range  through  Judea, 
Samaria,  Galilee ;  we  are  in  the  wilderness,  on  the 
sea-board,  in  streets  and  synagogues,  and  most 
often  in  the  Temple  itself.  In  these  we  remain  in 
a  single  chamber  of  a  private  house.  In  those  we 
are  in  the  presence  of  "  the  Jews,"  the  multitudes, 
all  classes  of  disciples,  hearers,  observei-s,  oppo- 
nents. In  these  we  are  in  the  inner  circle  which 
may  be  called  the  Lord's  own  family.  It  is  plain 
that  what  passes  here  must  have  an  importance  all 
its  own. 

It  has  this  value  from  these  very  restrictions, 
which  constitute  its  special  character,  as  a  min- 
istry to  believers.  The  Gospel  is  written  on  a 
distinct  plan,  that  of  giving,  at  the  same  time,  an 
account  of  the  manifestation  of  Christ,  and  an 
account  of  the  reception  of  it  by  those  to  whom 
it  was  presented.  St.  John  traces  with  evident 
intention  the  advancing  faith  of  the  few  and  the 
hardening  of  the  many  in  unbelief.      He  traces 


INTRODUCTION 


these  processes  not  only  by  relating  the  facts,  but 
by  his  own  observations  upon  them,  such  as  never 
occur  in   the  synoptic  gospels.      The  discussions 
and   objections    of   the    people    and   the   growing 
antagonism  of  the  representati  i  classes  are  exhib- 
ited in  their  progress  towards  the  national  rejec- 
tion, in  the  story,  which  has  been  summed  up  with 
melancholy  comments  at  the  end  of   the  twelfth 
chapter.      Side  by  side  with  this  history  of  un- 
belief  runs    the   history   of   faith,   in   those   who 
"received    Him,"  telling  how  they  acted  on  the 
testimony  of  the   Baptist ;  how  they  felt  at  once 
that  "they  had  found  the  Messias";  how,  at  the 
first  miracle,  "His  disciples    believed  on   Him"; 
how,  when    others  "went    back,"  their  adhesion 
was   confirmed  (ch.  vi.  66-68);  how  they  shared 
in  the  impressions  of  the  public  ministry  and  re- 
ceived deeper  impressions  themselves  in  more  inti- 
mate converse;  how  their  faith   was   tried   by   a 
course  which  contradicted  their  expectations,  and 
by  a  seeming  impotence  against  the  powers  of  the 
world;  but  how  it  was  also  sustained  by  works 
which  they  saw  to  be  the  testimony  of  God ;  how 
their  faith    felt   the  strain  of  claims  which  tran- 
scended their  capacity  of  apprehension,  and  of  words 
which  they  knew  not  how  to  interpret;  but  how 
this  was  more  than  balanced  by  the  experimental 
conviction,  "Thou   hast   words    of   eternal    life." 
Thus  through  those  years  of  association,  with  all 


INTRODUCTION 


their  recorded  ignorances,  weaknesses,  and  mis- 
takes, they  yet  beheld  his  glory,  the  glory  as  of 
an  "  only  begotten  from  the  Father,"  with  a  con- 
sciousness only  afterwards  to  be  fully  understood. 
And  now  this  hearing  and  beholding,  this  educa- 
tion and  companionship,  must  end.  The  next 
three  daj^s  will  bring,  in  the  Crucifixion  the 
final  shock  to  their  faith,  and,  in  the  Resurrec- 
tion the  final  seal ;  to  be  followed  by  the  transition, 
gradual  at  first  and  soon  complete,  to  the  life  of 
walking  by  faith  and  not  by  sight.  Thus  a  great 
work  remains  for  the  last  evenino".  A  teachino- 
must  be  given  which  shall  recognise  the  present 
faith  and  raise  it  to  a  higher  level,  which  shall  be 
a  consummation  of  the  relations  in  tlie  past  and  a 
preparation  for  those  in  the  future.  It  cannot  but 
be  given  under  the  genuine  emotion  of  tlie  hour, 
inspired  by  the  full  consciousness  of  the  situation, 
the  sympathy  which  naturally  grows  more  com- 
passionate, and  the  love  which  allows  itself  more 
tender  expression  in  the  moments  of  a  great  fare- 
w^ell. 

Such  is  the  teaching  Avhich  we  prepare  to  attend, 
when  wc  approach  this  division  of  the  Written 
Word,  five  chajjters,  which  have  been  called  "a 
Gospel  within  the  Gospel,"  a  sacred  enclosure,  an  in- 
terior sanctuary,  where  the  Lord  is  alone  with  his 
friends;  the  manifestation  to  the  world  finished; 
the  redemption  of  the  world  to  follow.     We  enter 


INTRODUCTION 


under  a  cloud  of  divine  sadness ;  we  find  ourselves 
under  the  brightest  illuminations  of  truth  and 
love.  Instructions,  consolations,  promises,  revela- 
tions, form  the  legacy  which  the  departing  Saviour 
leaves  to  his  Church. 

The  section  of  the  Gospel  thus  marked  off  by 
its  historical  setting  and  by  the  nature  of  its  con- 
tents, holds  not  only  a  distinct  but  a  central  place 
in  the  teaching'  of  Christ.  It  has  this  central 
character,  first,  as  intervening  between  the  narra- 
tive of  the  manifestation  of  Christ  to  the  world, 
and  that  of  his  passion  and  resurrection  ;  secondly, 
as  closing  the  teaching  of  Christ  in  the  flesh  and 
foreshowing  his  teaching  in  the  Spirit. 

Historically  the  central  chapter  of  the  Gospel  of 
Christ  is  the  narrative  of  his  death  and  resurrec- 
tion. These  events  consummate  his  manifestation 
on  earth,  and  condition  his  mediation  in  heaven. 
"  The  death  which  He  died,  He  died  unto  sin  once  ; 
the  life  which  He  liveth,  He  liveth  unto  God." 
In  the  one  act  He  departed  out  of  this  world,  hav- 
ing finished  the  work  which  was  given  Him  to  do ; 
in  the  other  He  went  to  the  Father  to  open  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  to  all  believers.  Therefore,  in 
the  region  of  fact  these  events  have  the  central 
place,  as  closing  one  part  of  the  dispensation  and 
opening  the  other ;  and  to  these  events  the  teach- 
ing of  the  last  hours  is  united  in  the  most  signifi- 
cant manner.     It  is  prefaced  as  being  given  "  when 


INTRODUCTION 


Jesus  knew  that  his  hour  was  come,  that  He  should 
depart  out  of  this  world  unto  the  Father " ;  and 
"  when  He  had  spoken  these  words  He  went  forth  " 
to  Gethsemane,  the  cross  and  g]-ave.  We  listen 
under  the  consciousness  of  what  is  to  follow,  a 
consciousness  all  tlie  deeper  because  the  situation 
is  not  explained  but  understood. 

The  instructions,  which  are  thus  made  prelimi- 
nary to  the  central  facts  of  the  Gospel,  have  also 
a  central  place  in  the  course  of  education  of  the 
disciples,  in  respect  both  of  the  method  of  the 
Teacher  and  the  attainments  of  the  taught. 

It  is  the  close  of  teaching  given  in  the  flesh  l)y 
word  of  mouth,  on  the  old  terms  of  fellowship; 
and  it  gives  large  promise  of  another  kind  of  teach- 
ing to  be  carried  on  by  the  Spirit,  leading  into  all  the 
truth,  and  communicating  "many  things"  Avhich 
the  Teacher  had  to  say,  but  which  the  disciples 
"  could  not  bear  "  then.  The  character  of  the  in- 
structions corresponds  with  this  stage  of  transition, 
as  preparing  the  faith  and  experience  of  a  spiritual 
life  different  from  that  of  the  past,  but  on  the  verge 
of  which  the  hearers  stood. 

In  regard  to  the  attainments  of  the  disciples  we 
receive  a  like  impression  of  transition.  We  see 
the  reality  of  their  faith,  but  we  also  see  its  limits. 
One  after  another  they  betray  those  limits  by  their 
questions.  They  ought  to  have  advanced  farther, 
but  they  have  reached  a  level  of  faith  Avhicli  is 


INTRODUCTION 


treated  as  a  sufficient  basis  for  more  decisive  ad- 
vance ;  and  "  in  that  day  "  which  is  to  follow,  this 
faith  will  open  out  into  fuller  knowledge.  Their 
personal  position,  however,  will  be  better  con- 
sidered when  we  come  to  enter  on  the  discourses. 
Here  we  only  note  the  place  which  this  part  of 
the  word  of  Christ  holds  relatively  to  the  rest  of  it. 

If  any  one  were  to  place  on  the  one  side  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount  and  the  general  synoptic 
teaching,  and  on  the  other  the  Apostolic  Epistles, 
expressing  the  Christian  consciousness  there  at- 
tained, he  would  very  doubtfully  trace  the  conti- 
nuity of  ideas  by  which  the  great  change  has  been 
effected.  The  Fourth  Gospel  supplies  that  line  of 
tlie  teaching  of  Christ  which  conducts  from  the  one 
l)oint  to  the  other;  and  it  is  the  present  section  of 
that  Gospel  which  does  this  in  the  most  direct 
manner.  It  makes  the  whole  teaching  continuous, 
by  telling  how  Jesus  Himself,  at  the  end  of  his 
manifestation,  assumed  the  results  of  past  instruc- 
tions, in  order  to  interweave  with  them  the  doctrine 
of  the  future.  Without  these  chapters  the  apostolic 
conceptions  and  convictions  would  lose  much  of 
the  precious  securities  given  by  words  which  fell 
from  the  ]\Iaster's  lips.  With  these  chapters,  we 
hear  in  those  later  writings  the  echoes  of  his  own 
words,  and  find  tlie  doctrine  of  "  that  day  "  to  be 
only  what  He  said  it  should  be. 

One  great  exception  may,  however,  be  taken  to 


10  INTRODUCTION 


this  statement,  and  that  in  respect  of  a  doctrine 
which  lies  at  the  heart  of  Christianity  as  taught  in 
the  canonical  Epistles  and  held  in  the  Catholic 
Church ;  I  mean  that  of  the  atoning  merit  and 
redeeming  virtue  of  the  death  of  Christ.  That 
doctrine  is  not  here.  The  ideas  of  sacrifice  and 
propitiation,  ransom  and  redemption  do  not  appear 
in  this  teaching,  and  even  the  facts  of  death  and 
resurrection  are  only  implied  under  veiled  expres- 
sions. Elsewhere  there  are  plain  predictions  of 
"  the  Son  of  Man  delivered  to  be  crucified,"  and 
"  the  Son  of  Man  risen  again  from  the  dead,"  and 
also  distinct  intimations  of  his  "  giving  his  life  a 
ransom  for  many,"  and  of  his  "  blood  shed  for  the 
remission  of  sins."  No  such  words  are  found  in 
these  discourses,  spoken  on  the  very  threshold  of 
the  events.  The  view  of  the  speaker  is  projected 
beyond  them  into  a  life  for  Himself  and  a  dispen- 
sation for  his  people,  of  which  his  death  and 
resurrection  are  necessary  conditions,  but  condi- 
tions which  are  not  here  affirmed.  The  events 
immediately  at  hand  would  speak  for  themselves ; 
the  interpretation  of  them  would  follow  by  the 
teaching  of  the  Spirit.  Had  these  impending 
events  and  the  deep  meaning  of  them  been  pre- 
sented in  these  discourses,  they  would  have  been 
presented  to  minds  incapable  as  yet  of  appre- 
hending them,  and  certainly  incapable  of  passing 
beyond  them  into  the  serener  atmosphere  of  the 


INTRODUCTION  11 


life  in  the  Spirit,  and  the  region  of  hope  and  faith 
into  which  they  were  to  be  led.  In  fact,  the 
teaching  of  this  night  could  not  have  been  given 
as  it  was.^ 

As  actually  given  it  deposited  in  the  minds  of 
the  disciples,  and  so  in  the  mind  of  the  Church, 
ideas  most  precious  and  most  fruitful,  constituting 
both  a  large  proportion  and  a  distinguishing  char- 
acter of  the  Christian  habit  of  thought,  as  we 
know  it  in  the  apostolic  letters. 

The  first  principle,  "  Ye  believe  in  God,  believe 
also  in  Me,"  there  expands  itself  into  the  pervad- 
ing undivided  faith  "  in  God  the  Father  and  Jesus 
Christ   our   Lord."      The   relations   of   the   Holy 

1  I  may  be  allowed,  in  passing,  to  observe  that  we  have  in 
the  absence  of  these  doctrines  one  evidence  of  the  accuracy  of 
the  report,  for  it  is  given  by  one  whose  mind  was  strongly  and 
habitually  possessed  with  the  very  ideas  which  are  absent  here. 
Not  to  speak  of  the  testimonies  in  his  Gospel,  from  the  first 
word  which  drew  him  to  Christ,  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God 
which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world,"  to  the  last  deep  im- 
pression from  the  sight  of  the  blood  and  water  from  the  pierced 
side,  we  see  how  he  places  in  the  forefront  of  his  Epistle  ' '  the 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ  which  cleanses  from  all  sin,"  and  the  "  pro- 
pitiation for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world,"  and  in  the  forefront 
of  his  apocalypse,  glory  to  Him  ' '  who  loosed  (or  washed)  us 
from  our  sins  in  his  blood,"  with  many  a  subsequent  cele- 
bration of  "  Him  who  was  slain  and  purchased  us  to  God  by 
his  blood,"  and  of  victory  obtained  "by  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb."  The  absence  of  truths  which  held  such  a  place  in  the 
mind  of  the  writer  is  adverse  to  speculations  with  which  we  ai'C 
now  familiar  on  modification  of  the  discourses  by  "  unconscious 
introduction  of  his  own  ideas,"  or  "filtering  of  the  products  of 
his  inilividuality  "  into  the  reports  of  the  Lord's  words. 


12  INTRODUCTION 


Ghost  with  the  Father  and  the  Son,  and  liis  liv- 
ing presence  (which  is  their  presence  also)  in  the 
Church  and  in  the  soul  appears  in  those  pages  as  we 
first  find  them  here.  Whatsoever  we  there  read  of 
God  in  Christ  and  Christ  in  God,  whatsoever  of  union 
with  Christ  and  membership  in  Him,  and  access  to 
tlie  Father  through  Him,  of  worship  in  his  name,  of 
gifts  and  powers  bestowed  by  Him,  of  participation 
in  his  peace  and  association  in  his  victory  over  the 
world,  whatsoever  doctrine,  whatsoever  experience 
on  these  subjects  we  derive  from  those  Epistles,  has 
its  origin  and  its  certificate  in  the  discourses  of  the 
last  evening.  To  exhibit  this  correspondence  be- 
tween the  condensed  sayings  here,  and  their  ex- 
panded consequences  there,  would  be  a  treatise  in 
itself;  but  any  one  who  pursues  the  comparison  will 
see  with  increasing  clearness  that  this  Christian' 
consciousness  in  all  its  parts  had  its  origin  in  the 
sayings  of  Jesus,  and  most  distinctly  in  these. 

It  is  true  that  this  consciousness  is  best  known 
to  us  from  the  writings  of  one  who  was  not  pres- 
ent in  the  vipper  room ;  but  in  this  respect  the 
utterances  of  St.  Paul  are  at  one  with  those  of  St. 
Peter  and  St.  John.  St.  Paul  liad,  as  he  tells  us, 
his  own  separate  revelations,  but  the  fundamental 
Christian  consciousness,  of  which  I  speak,  however 
characterized  in  the  individual,  Awas  the  common 
heritage  of  believers.  It  might  find  an  eminently 
sympathetic  interpreter  in  St.  Paul ;  but  he  was 


INTRODUCTION  13 


neither  the  originator  nor  the  peculiar  possessor 
of  it.  He  found  it  in  the  community  which  he 
entered,  breathing  in  the  atmospliere  of  the  Church. 
We  are  not  to  identify  a  thing  with  the  extant 
records  of  it,  as  if  it  existed  only  in  them.  For 
instance,  these  sayings  of  Jesus,  as  we  have  them, 
were  written  down  by  one  Apostle  long  after  they 
were  uttered.  He,  no  doubt,  was  always  the  best 
reporter  of  them,  and  was  therefore  chosen  as  their 
reporter  forever.  But  were  they  heard  only  by 
him  ?  Ten  other  men  were  listening,  men  chosen 
for  the  purpose,  commissioned  witnesses,  an  apos- 
tolic college.  And  why  a  college  ?  That  the 
members  might  assist  and  check  each  other's  mem- 
ory, and  sustain  each  other's  testimony ;  and  that 
thus  there  might  be  a  solidarity  of  witness  and 
authority  on  the  foundations  of  the  Gospel  while 
that  should  be  needed.  If  any  words  of  Jesus 
sank  into  their  hearts,  and  by  them  passed  into 
the  hearts  of  others,  surely  it  must  have  been  so 
with  these  words,  delivered  as  a  last  legacy,  con- 
fided to  them  as  chosen  Apostles,  and  gradually 
verified  by  experience  in  the  day  of  the  dispensa- 
tion of  the  Spirit.  I  mean  to  point  out  that  there 
was  a  world  of  Christian  consciousness  correspond- 
ing to  these  predictive  instructions,  before  St.  Paul, 
twenty  years  later,  assumed  its  existence  in  those  to 
whom  he  wrote,  and  before  St.  John,  fifty  years  later, 
bequeathed  to  the  Church  in  writing  his  own  habit- 


14  INTRODUCTION  chap. 

ual  testimony.  That  later  development  of  faith 
and  experience  was  as  really  the  teaching  of  Christ 
by  the  Spirit  as  were  the  instructions  spoken  with 
his  lips  on  the  hills  of  Galilee  or  in  the  synagogue 
of  Capernaum  ;  and  between  the  two  stand  the  tran- 
sitional words  of  the  last  evening,  which  on  that 
account  are  here  designated  as  "  the  central  teach- 
ing of  Jesus  Christ." 


INTRODUCTION  15 


CHAPTER    II 

A    STUDY    AND    EXPOSITION 

In  describing  this  work  as  a  study  and  exposi- 
tion, I  intend  to  distinguish  its  character  from  that 
of  an  inquiry  and  discussion.  The  two  descrip- 
tions involve  different  attitudes  of  mind  in  rehition 
to  the  text  which  is  treated.  In  the  former  we 
are  considering  it  as  it  is;  in  the  latter,  how  it 
came  to  be  what  it  is.  In  this  case  we  have  before 
us  questions  of  preliminary  importance,  on  the 
authorship  of  the  Gospel,  and,  if  that  be  granted, 
on  its  accuracy  as  a  report.  These  and  the  like 
inquiries  concerning  the  canonical  Scriptures  may 
be  said  to  be  the  questions  of  the  time,  having 
been  raised  with  eager  importunity  and  treated 
on  both  sides  with  elaboration,  erudition,  and 
ingenuity  in  the  last  and  the  present  generation. 
There  is  the  more  reason  to  bear  in  mind  that 
those  questions  are  preliminary,  and  to  be  kept 
in  their  own  place,  not  following  us  with  disturb- 
ing influence  into  the  inner  sanctuary  of  instruc- 
tion.    It  would  fare  ill  with  the  school  of  Christ, 


16  INTRODUCTION 


if  attention  to  the  teaching  were  embarrassed  by 
uncertainties  as  to  who  was  really  the  teacher; 
and  if  the  disciples  could  no  longer  listen  with 
the  old  trustful  security  that  they  were  "  liear- 
ing  Him  and  being  taught  by  Him  as  is  truth  in 
Jesus."  In  the  present  case,  one  who  has  gone 
into  these  questions,  with  the  result  of  an  entire 
satisfaction,  can  the  more  thankfully  set  them 
aside,  and  follow  the  divine  teaching  with  the  per- 
fect confidence  with  which  it  has  been  ever  studied 
and  expounded  in  the  Catholic  Church.  A  settled 
assurance  as  to  the  writer  of  the  Gospel  carries 
with  it  an  equal  assurance  of  his  distinct  com- 
mission and  peculiar  competence  to  write,  and  oi 
the  special  grace  enabling  him  for  the  work  which 
he  fulfils  in  the  testimony  of  Jesus  to  the  Church 
and  to  the  world  forever.  Such  confidence  is  not 
in  the  least  incompatible  with  the  consciousness  of 
the  conditions  under  which  the  divine  purpose  was 
fulfilled.  These  conditions,  in  some  most  impor- 
tant respects,  cannot  be  better  expressed  than  in 
the  following  words  :  — • 

"  The  key  to  the  Fourth  Gospel  lies  in  translation.  .  .  . 
I  mean  translation  in  language  from  Aramaic  into  Greek : 
translation  in  time  extending  over  more  than  half  a  century, 
the  writer  passing  from  young  manhood  to  mature  old 
age :  translation  in  place  from  Palestine  to  Ephesus :  transla- 
tion in  outward  moulds  of  thought  from  the  simplicity  of 
Jewish  fishermen  and  peasants  to  the  technicalities  of  a 
people,  who  had  formed  for  a  century  the  meeting-ground, 


INTRODUCTION  17 


and,  ill  part,  tlie   union  of   the  philosophers  of   East   and 
West. 

"  If  we  earnestly  attempt  to  realise  the  life  of  the  Apostle, 
and  the  circumstances  under  which  the  Gospel  was  com- 
posed, it  will  lead  us  to  undei'stand  how  this  process  of 
development  must  have  taken  place  in  the  inspired  writer, 
and  how  absolutely  essential  it  was  to  the  pui-pose  of  his 
writing."  ^ 

Certainly  these  several  kinds  of  translation  give 
ample  scope  for  suppositions  of  such  changes  by 
the  way  as  would  create  variations  between  the 
facts  and  the  records  of  them,  between  the  dis- 
courses and  the  reports  of  them.  Hence  the 
luminous  pages  might  be  darkened  by  flitting 
shadows  of  uncertainty,  study  might  be  distracted 
by  questions,  and  exposition  arrested  by  discus- 
sion. So  it  is  in  that  stage  of  enquiry,  in  which 
Holy  Scripture  is  being  examined  "  like  any  other 
book."  But  if  that  very  enquiry  lead  to  the  con- 
clusion that  it  is  not  like  any  other  book  in  char- 
acter, origin,  and  relation  to  mankind,  that  there 
pervades  its  component  parts  another  mind  than 
the  minds  of  its  many  authors,  and  that  the 
Church  has  been  right  in  recognising  it  as  the 
Written  Word  of  God,  then  those  shadows  pass 
from  its  pages  and  those  distractions  cease.  Nor 
is  there  any  part  of  Holy  Scripture  in  which 
this   assurance    is    more   instinctively   and   justly 

1  Archdeacon  Watkins,  Bampton  Lectures,  1890,  "Modern 
Criticism  and  the  Fourth  Gospel,"  p.  42G-427. 

C 


18  INTRODUCTION 


felt  than  it  is  in  these  chapters,  where  the  be- 
loved disciple  tells  how,  in  his  own  hearing,  Jesus 
spake. 

In  the  last  sentence  of  the  passage  quoted  there 
occur  two  expressions  which,  if  worthily  under- 
stood, contain  the  secret  of  confidence  for  the 
student  and  expositor.  These  are  "  the  inspired 
writer"  and  "the  purpose  of  his  writing."  If 
his  inspiration  was  a  reality,  and  the  purpose  of 
his  writing  was  the  purpose  of  his  Lord,  then 
speculations  about  changes  and  developments  are 
greatly  restricted.  If  He  who  was  the  Incarnate 
Word  and  Saviour  of  the  world  would  be  known 
to  his  Church  for  ever,  He  would  know  how  to 
secure  the  truth  of  that  information,  and  to  make 
it  the  very  expression  of  Himself;  and  here  He  has 
employed  for  this  purpose  the  agent  nearest  to 
Him,  whose  spirit  was,  beyond  that  of  other  men, 
receptive  and  retentive  and  open  to  that  guidance 
of  the  Spirit,  the  promise  of  which  he  has  recorded. 
Suppositions  about  psychological  processes  and 
influences  of  circumstances  cannot  in  this  case 
be  equally  admissible  as  they  might  be  in  ordinary 
literature  and  the  common  history  of  mind.  If 
translation  is  one  key  to  this  Gospel,  inspiration  is 
another,  as  the  presiding  power  which  ordered  the 
translation,  and  shaped  its  effects  to  the  divine 
purpose  of  a  perfect  testimony.  If  the  Spirit  acted 
in  directing  the  movements  of  the  Gospel,  how 


INTRODUCTION  19 


much  more  needful  would  that  direction  be  in  the 
perpetuation  of  it.  We  read  in  Acts  xvi.  how 
this  guidance  led  the  Gospel  into  Greece.  The 
preachers,  "forbidden  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to 
preach  the  Word  in  Asia,"  turned  to  Bithynia, 
"but  the  Spirit  suffered  them  not"  ;  then  a  vision 
directed  them  across  the  sea.  It  would  be  scarce 
reasonable  to  believe  that  no  like  guidance  was 
given  in  the  formation  of  documents  on  which  the 
faith  of  Christians  would  depend  to  the  end  of 
time.  Surely  it  was  the  same  superintendence 
which  led  the  preaching  into  Greece  as  the  best 
post  of  advantage,  and  which  fixed  the  writing  in 
Greek  as  the  most  perfect  vehicle  of  expression. 

In  respect,  then,  of  translation  in  language  we 
are  scarcely  a  step  removed  from  the  Lord.  What 
is  language  but  the  vehicle  of  mind  ?  and  we  hear 
Him  speaking  in  the  upper  room  in  that  language 
in  which  He  has  provided  that  we  should  read 
most  perfectly  His  mind  and  meaning.  For  ex- 
ample, if  we  note  in  the  discourses  shades  and 
discriminations  of  meaning,  whicli  the  Greek  lan- 
guage supplies,  we  shall  not  have  to  enquire  as  to 
Aramaic  equivalents  in  the  original  communica- 
tions, having  before  us  a  version  which  is,  by  the 
Lord's  will  and  provision,  the  version  for  the 
world,  given  as  the  word  of  Cluist  for  ever.^ 

1  E.g.  such  enquii-y  might  be  suggested  by  the  frequent  ob- 
servations we  shall  have  to  make  on  words  carrying  important 


20  IXTRODUCTION 


The  same  principle  of  divine  guidance  applies 
to  other  instances  of  translation,  as  from  early  to 
later  life,  from  Jerusalem  to  Ephesus,  from  one 
mental  atmosphere  to  another.  There  are  pas- 
sages in  the  Gospel  in  which  the  effect  of  such 
translations  may  be  observed,  and  felt  to  assist 
interpretation  ;  but  scarcely  in  passages  which  are 
simple  testimony,  least  of  all  such  testimony  as  is 
given  here,  and  which  must  have  been  felt  as  a 
specially  sacred  deposit  to  be  guarded  and  trans- 
mitted with  the  most  reverential  care.  Specula- 
tions on  the  effects  of  psychological  changes  in  the 
writer,  on  free  handling  of  his  materials,  and  on 
alterations,  even  unconsciously  made,  in  the  words 
which  he  reports,  should  here  be  under  restraint. 
This  is  not  a  case  of  ordinary  literature  ;  not  that 
of  an  old  man  recovering  distant  recollections  ;  or 
of  an  author  who  has  the  right  to  exhibit  his  sub- 
ject according  to  his  later  lights.  It  is  the  case  of 
the  chosen  Apostle  reporting  tlie  words  of  the  Son 

discriminations  of  idea  in  the  Greek,  which  have  no  adequate 
eijuivalents  in  our  own  language,  which  has  but  one  word  in 
common  use  to  represent  two  which  the  more  perfect  language 
would  employ.  E.i/.  know  for  oioa,  ytviIxrKw;  go  for  virdyto, 
TTopeuw ;  see  for  dpdu,  deupiu ;  love  for  dyawdu},  (piX^u  ;  trite  for 
ctXf/^Tjs,  d\7jdii'6s ;  now  for  puv,  Apn  ;  from  for  wapd,  dirb,  etc.,  etc. 
But  the  enquiry  which  our  own  experience  of  translation  miglvt 
suggest  as  to  equivalents  in  Oreek  and  Aramaic  becomes  of  no 
practical  consequence,  if  by  the  will  of  the  Divine  Speaker  his 
communications  are  given  us  by  the  finer  instrument  which 
conveys  to  our  minds  all  their  meaning  and  force. 


INTRODUCTION  21 


of  God,  writing  as  a  witness  of  things  committed 
to  his  trust,  and  which  through  life  he  had  been 
used  to  testify.  "  This  is  the  disciple  which 
beareth  witness  of  these  things  (o  fiaprupcov  Trepl 
TovToiv),  expressing  a  recognised  habit,  and  wrote 
these  things  (/cat  ypdylrwi  ravra'),  and  we  know 
that  his  testimony  is  true "  (xxi.  24).  In  pres- 
ence of  these  conditions  and  also  of  the  promise  of 
Christ,  "  He  shall  bring  all  tilings  to  your  remem- 
brance, whatsoever  I  have  said  unto  you,"  it 
surely  requires  overwhelming  reasons  to  justify 
those  suppositions  of  changes,  developments,  modi- 
fications by  subjective  tendencies,  mixing  together 
portions  of  other  discourses,  and  the  like,  in  which 
even  reverential  writers  have  been  prone  to  in- 
dulge, after  breathing  a  literary  atmosphere 
infected  with  critical  distrust.^ 

1  An  instance  may  be  fitly  taken  from  a  thoughtful  book 
which  has  done  good  service,  "The  Authorship  and  Historical 
Character  of  the  Fourth  Gospel,"  by  Dr.  Sanday.  The  able 
writer,  after  mentioning  an  argument  which  he  says  "has  not 
any  great  weight,"  continues  thus  :  "  Yet  we  should  be  led  in 
some  degree  to  infer  from  this  that  the  Evangelist  had  enlarged 
upon  his  original.  And  the  whole  character  of  the  discourse 
goes  to  strengthen  this  conclusion.  They  have  been  freely 
reproduced  ;  probably  portions  of  other  discourses,  though  all 
belonging  to  these  last  days  worked  up  in  them."  Then  after 
describing  a  possible  process  of  mind,  he  continues,  "Some 
such  process  seems  to  have  been  at  work  in  the  mind  of  the 
Apostle.  And  not  only  has  he  mixed  together  portions  of  dif- 
ferent discourses,  but  he  has  also  shaped,  moulded,  developed, 
their  substance  in  such  a  way  that  we  are  no  more  able  to  draw 
the   Hue   at   the    point  where   the    old    ends    and    where    the 


22  INTRODUCTION 


The  discussion  of  these  questions,  important  in 
the  highest  degree,  is  yet  outside  the  intention  of 
this  book.  Here  we  would  study  St.  John,  not  as 
critics,  but  as  disciples.  His  words  will  be  taken 
for  what  they  profess  to  be ;  and  if  he  "  repeats 
discourses  under  an  impression  that  they  represent 
what  was  actually  spoken,"  we  shall  read  them 
here  under  the  same  impression.  Such  stud}^, 
however,  in  keeping  to  its  own  lines,  has  also  a 
necessary  bearing  on  the  questions  which  it  avoids, 
and  makes  a  material  contribution  to  the  argu- 
ment. For  if  deliberate  consideration  shews  more 
plainly  that  the  story  suits  the  persons  as  they 
were  at  the  time,  and  fits  in  with  the  facts  and 
feelings  of  the  occasion ;  if  the  lifelike  touches  in 
the  scene  appear  to  be  natural  tokens  of  unclouded 
personal  recollection ;  if  revealing  words,  laid  sep- 
arately before  us  (in  the  manner  technically  called 

new  begins."  It  is  conceded  that  this  was  done  "uncon- 
sciously," and  that  "  the  discourses  are  repeated  under  an 
impression  that  they  represent  what  was  actually  spoken.  But 
it  is  impossible  for  an  active  mind  to  retain  the  exact  recollec- 
tion of  words  over  a  space  of  perhaps  fifty  years.  Little  by 
little  the  products  of  its  own  individuality  will  filter  in  and  dis- 
turb the  clear  element  of  objective  fact"  (p.  222).  Then  follows 
a  psychological  speculation  on  the  effect  of  time  on  the  memory 
in  case  of  a  man  of  strong  mind  and  character.  But  such 
resources  of  suspicious  criticism,  however  allowable  in  respect' 
of  ordinary  literary  reproduction,  are  scarcely  tolerable  here, 
where  the  effects  on  confidence  are  so  serious,  and  wliere  the 
very  slender  suggestions  of  suspicion  are  met  by  an  immense 
preponderance  of  reasons  for  trust. 


INTRODUCTION  23 


asyndeton)  without  particles  of  connexion  or 
incorporation,  are  suggestive  of  the  form  in  which 
they  lay  undisturbed  in  the  memory  of  the  writer ; 
if  in  the  discourses  a  certain  "  involved  manner " 
gives  the  impression  of  converse  as  it  was,  not  of 
later  reflection  reducing  it  into  shape ;  and  if  these 
communications  are  characterised  by  a  simplicity 
of  language  which  is  not  after  any  school  of 
thought,  and  by  a  depth  of  meaning  and  a  con- 
scious authority  whicli  are  not  after  the  manner  of 
men,  —  then  these  features  of  the  record  constitute 
an  internal  evidence  of  truth  and  accuracy,  which, 
so  to  speak,  converts  the  reader  of  the  Evangelist 
into  a  hearer  of  the  Lord. 

Having  thus  endeavoured  to  relieve  this  study 
from  the  pressure  of  questions  which  are  not 
within  its  scope,  I  would  indicate  by  anticipation 
certain  leading  ideas  which  will  be  observed  in  the 
course  of  it,  but  will  be  more  present  to  the  mind 
if  mentioned  beforehand. 

The  first  is  that  of  the  internal  unity  of  this 
whole  section  of  the  Gospel.  It  presents  one  course 
of  things  in  three  parts ;  the  Incidents  preparing  for 
the  Discourses,  the  Discourses  consummated  by  the 
Prayer.  The  Apostolic  College  having  been  first 
cleansed  by  a  symbolic  washing,  and  then  purged 
of  an  alien  element,  receives  its  great  legacy  of 
teaching  and  promise,  and  is  finally  committed  to 
the  care  and  blessing  of  the  Father,  in  respect  of 


24  TXTRODUCTION 


the  men  themselves,  of  their  common  work,  and 
of  the  effects  of  it  in  all  generations.  It  is  all 
one  course  of  fact  and  thought,  complete  within 
itself,  —  a  comprehensive  and  consummate  fare- 
well. 

Another  leading  idea  to  be  kept  in  mind  is  that 
of  combination.  There  is  a  twofold  character 
throughout,  combining  all  the  naturalness  of  the 
historical  situation  with  all  the  greatness  of  its 
spiritual  significance.  In  the  one  point  of  view, 
we  see  the  holy  Teacher  before  his  death  having 
the  last  meal  with  his  disciples,  speaking  the  last 
words  in  tones  of  genuine  human  affection,  and 
leaving  with  them  consolations  and  instructions  to 
be  pondered  when  He  is  gone.  In  the  other  point 
of  view  we  behold  tlie  Son  who  came  forth  from 
the  Father  about  to  return  to  the  Father,  deliver- 
ing to  the  chosen  founders  and  representatives  of 
his  Church  revelations  of  truth,  wliich  are  to  pro- 
long their  power  tlu'ough  all  generations  of  be- 
lievers. Thus  is  there  a  twofold  character,  first 
of  the  speaker,  then  of  the  hearers,  then  also  of 
the  words,  botli  aspects  being  preserved  in  the 
narrative  in  perfect  combinations  ;  and  both  must, 
in  like  manner,  be  kept  in  view  in  the  study  and 
exposition  of  it. 

A  third  leading  idea  is  that  of  the  relation 
in  which  this  part  of  the  divine  teaching  stands 
to  the  whole,  as  occupying  the  central  position.     It 


INTRODUCTION  25 


intervenes  between  two  stages  in  the  building  up 
of  the  Gospel,  and  spans  what  would  else  be  a 
vacant  space  in  the  doctrinal  structure ;  being  not 
merely  beautiful  as  the  capital  of  a  column,  but 
necessary  as  the  solid  keystone  of  an  arch.  But 
this  idea,  having  given  the  title  to  the  book,  has 
been  sufficiently  set  forth  in  the  chapter  which 
explained  the  title.  On  the  method  and  spirit 
of  the  treatment  attempted  a  few  words  may  be 
added. 

1.  The  method  is  to  follow  the  course  of  Scrip- 
ture as  it  is,  without  seeking  a  more  formal  order 
by  analysis,  or  by  rearrangement  according  to  topics, 
as,  for  instance,  by  throwing  together  the  words  on 
the  gift  of  the  Spirit,  or  those  on  love  or  on  wor- 
ship. It  is  a  simple  method,  but  it  is  that  of  a 
true  and  trustful  exposition,  as  shewing  that  if  the 
same  topics  recur,  they  recur  in  different  connex- 
ions and  with  different  applications,  and  that  we 
are  not  passing  through  a  confusion,  but  following 
an  evolution  of  thought. 

2.  On  this  plan  a  chief  help  to  exposition  must 
be  sought  in  the  naturalness  and  fitness  of  divis- 
ions, as  far  as  this  can  be  attained ;  since  this 
arrests  deliberate  attention  on  the  successive  steps 
of  instruction,  making  each  a  study  by  itself,  yet 
in  its  connexion,  often  unexpressed,  with  what 
precedes  and  follows. 

3.  Within  these  divisions  the  force  of  the  ex- 


26  IXTRODUCTION 


pressions  and  the  precision  of  the  wording  claim 
the  careful  observation  which  they  have  received 
from  all  commentators;  and  they  claim  it,  not 
only  on  the  grounds  of  conscientious  exegesis  in 
general,  but  specially  from  the  obligations  felt  by 
those  who  regard  the  human  words  as  uttering 
divine  thoughts. 

The  spirit  proper  to  such  a  study  must  be  one 
of  sympathetic  observation  and  also  of  reverential 
faith. 

For  the  just  apprehension  of  all  that  passes  there 
is  need  of  something  more  than  exact  observation 
of  particulars ;  there  is  need  of  a  certain  sympathy 
with  the  feeling  of  the  occasion,  with  the  mind  of 
the  disciples,  and  (shall  we  venture  to  say  it?) 
w^ith  the  mind  of  the  Lord.  We  may  say  it,  for 
plainly  He  desired  the  poor  sympathy  of  the  men 
who  "  continued  with  Him  in  his  temptations," 
and  whom  He  asked  to  "watch  with  Him  one 
hour " ;  and  the  tones  of  human  experiences  and 
human  affections,  audible  in  these  farewell  words, 
assist  our  apprehensions  by  touching  our  hearts. 

But  bej'ond  this  power  of  realising  the  circum- 
stances and  feelings  of  the  scene,  another  condition 
of  mind  is  heeded  for  the  true  interpretation  of  its 
teaching;  namely,  a  reverential  sense  that  we  are- 
present  at  an  important  part  of  the  manifestation 
of  the  Son  of  God,  and  of  tlie  self-revelation  of  the 
Lord  to  his  Church.     This  involves  a  deeper  in- 


INTRODUCTION  27 


sight  into  the  significance  of  acts,  and  a  hxrger 
apprehension  of  the  import  of  words.  It  creates  also 
a  right  and  duty  of  inferences  and  applications 
extending  through  all  time,  and  proper  to  our  day 
and  ourselves.  Fresh  and  living  do  these  words 
come  down  to  us,  as  spoken  with  prospective  in- 
tention, and  transmitted  by  inspiration  and  provi- 
dence. In  connecting  them  with  later  experiences 
and  with  present  uses,  we  are  only  treating  them 
according  to  their  proper  nature  and  purpose. 
The  voice  that  speaks  so  far  away  in  an  upper 
room  in  Jerusalem  is  heard,  as  by  an  electric  cur- 
rent, speaking  close  beside  us;  and  we  feel  that  by 
his  Word  as  well  as  in  his  Spirit,  He  fulfils  the 
promise,  "  Lo !  I  am  with  you  all  the  days  even  to 
the  consummation  of  the  age." 


Part  I 


THE   INCIDENTS 


XIII.  1-38 


CHAPTER 

I.  The  Preamble       .     . 

II.  The  Supper       .     .     . 

III.  Washing  of  the  Feet 

IV.  Detachment  of  Jcdas 
V.  Preliminary  Sayings 

VI.  Premonition  to  Peter 


V.  1 

2 

2-17 
18-30 
31-35 
36-38 


29 


Part  I 

THE  INCIDENTS 

CHAPTER  I 

THE  PREAIMBLE 

"  Now  before  the  feast  of  the  Passover,  Jesus,  knowing  that  his 
hour  was  come  that  he  should  depart  out  of  this  world  unto 
the  Father,  having  loved  his  own  which  were  in  the  world, 
he  loved  them  unto  the  end." 

"  This  verse,"  says  Bengel,  "  is  a  general  exor- 
dium extending  to  all  that  is  related  in  this  and 
the  following  chapters."  So  most  commentators 
take  it,  and  such  it  obviously  is.  Such  preambles 
are  in  the  manner  of  St.  John.  There  are  several 
minor  instances.  The  greatest  is  the  prologue  to 
the  Gospel  itself.  In  the  present  case  three  par- 
ticulars are  premised.  (1)  The  date,  (2)  the 
consciousness  of  Jesus,  and  (3)  the  motive  and 
character  of  his  action. 

1.  The  date  ("  before  the  feast  of  the  Pass- 
over ")  gives  to  what  follows  its  place  in  history. 
It  does  not  positively  determine  the  question  of 
the  day,  but  places  these  liours  at  the  commence- 

31 


32  THE   INCIDENTS 


ment  of  the  feast,  —  the  word  then  in  use,  not 
only  for  the  paschal  supper,  but  for  the  whole 
festival  week  which  it  inaugurated.  At  this  feast, 
commemorative  of  a  typical  redemption,  the  real 
redemption  was  wrought.  This  was  apparently 
the  third  Passover  in  the  public  life  of  Jesus.  At 
the  first  (ii.  13,  23)  He  claimed  his  rights  as  the 
Son  in  his  Father's  house,  and  "wrought  many 
signs,"  with  the  result  that  "  many  believed." 
If  the  un-named  feast  (v.  1)  were  a  Passover,  that 
would  add  another  to  the  list,  and  another  year  to 
the  ministry ;  but  the  reasons  on  the  opposite  side 
are  almost  conclusive.  The  second,  therefore, 
would  be  that  which  He  did  not  attend  (vi.  4), 
when  it  is  mentioned  as  exceptional  that  "  He 
walked  in  Galilee,  and  did  not  walk  in  Judea, 
because  the  Jews  sought  to  kill  Him"  (vii.  1). 
Now,  on  this  third  occasion,  the  time  for  deferring 
that  termination  is  over,  and  He  is  in  Jerusalem, 
at  the  feast,  to  be  Himself  the  fulfilment  of  its 
types,  in  its  first  portion  as  "  our  Passover  sacri- 
ficed for  us,"  in  its  second  (the  feast  of  First- 
fruits)  as  "  risen  from  the  dead,  the  firstfruits  of 
them  that  slept." 

2.  The  consciousness  of  this  possesses  his  soul. 
He  acts  and  speaks,  "knowing  that  his  hour  is 
come."  That  history  is  measured  by  predestined 
hours.  So  it  was  said  at  Cana,  "Mine  hour  is  not 
yet  come,"  —  the  hour  for  public  action  and  mani- 


THE   TREAMBLE  33 


festation  to  the  world.  Now,  at  this  Passover,  it 
is  the  hour  for  the  end.  Twice  it  had  been  said, 
"  No  man  laid  hands  on  Him,  because  his  hour  was 
not  yet  come  "  (vii.  30 ;  viii.  20),  but  that  can  be 
said  no  more.  Here  that  hour,  so  overwhelming 
in  its  experiences,  so  vast  in  its  effects,  is  thought 
of  in  a  single  point  of  view.  This  is  expressed 
with  a  curious  precision,  but  in  a  form  common 
with  St.  John  (<W,  in  order  that),  "  to  the  end  that 
He  should  depart  (fiera^rj,  pass  over)  out  of  this 
world  unto  the  Father."  It  is  a  looking  beyond 
the  hour  to  the  result,  beyond  the  immediate 
events,  which  are  the  steps  of  departure,  to  the 
state  which  will  ensue.  And  why?  Because  of 
the  bearing  of  that  great  change  on  those  who  will 
be  left.  The  departure  and  separation  from  them 
is  the  ground-thought  of  all  the  acts  and  words 
which  follow. 

3.  They  are  acts  and  words  of  love.  "  Having 
loved  his  own  which  were  in  the  world.  He  loved 
them  unto  the  end."  Well  may  it  be  noted  that, 
under  the  present  consciousness  that  the  great 
crisis  is  come,  He  is  occupied,  not  with  self,  but 
with  them. 

"  His  own,"  they  are  called ;  in  another  sense 
than  that  in  which  it  had  been  said,  "  He  came 
unto  his  own  (ra  iSia),  and  his  own  (ot  iBtoi') 
received  Him  not "  (i.  11).  Those  were  his  own  by 
natural  right  and  connexion ;    these  by  the  bond 

D 


34  THE   INCIDENTS 


of  faith  and  by  the  gift  of  the  Father.  Dear  they 
are  to  Hiin  personally  and  by  name,  dear  also  as 
chosen  representatives  of  the  little  flock  of  dis- 
ciples then  existing,  and  of  all  the  larger  flock 
which  they  will  gather,  and  to  whom  these  com- 
munications of  love  will  be  transmitted.  That 
is  a  reason  of  affection.  There  is  also  the  reason 
of  an  anxious  concern.  They  are  "his  own,  which 
are  in  the  Avorld,"  the  uncongenial  hostile  world, 
out  of  which  He  departs  and  in  which  He  leaves 
them.  In  later  words  we  shall  see  how  that 
thought  touched  his  heart.  He  had  loved  them 
all  through,  and  shown  that  love ;  but  now,  with 
a  special  emotion  and  with  a  special  expression  of 
it,  "  He  loved  them  unto  the  end."  Does  the  word 
(ei<f  TeXo9)  intend  to  the  last  (in  time),  or  to  the 
uttermost  (in  degree)  ?  The  first  meaning  is  most 
natural ;  but  both  are  included.  Last  expressions 
of  affection  are  apt  to  be  most  tender  or  intense. 

It  will  be  seen,  I  think,  that  this  verse,  read  as  a 
preamble  to  the  five  chapters,  gives,  with  remark- 
able precision,  the  leading  ideas  which  pervade 
them :  the  historical  setting,  the  consciousness  of 
the  Speaker,  the  relation  of  the  hearers  to  Him 
and  to  the  world,  and  the  consequent  character 
of  the  intercourse  described. 

But  do  not  these  introductory  words  ask  for 
reflection  as  well  as  explanation?  The  love 
wherewith    Jesus    loved    his    own,    which    is    to 


THE   PREAMBLE  35 


be  so  amply  illustrated  in  these  chapters,  is  a 
subject  to  arrest  our  thoughts.  It  is  one  from 
which  the  mind  cannot  hastily  pass  away.  How 
many  kinds,  measures,  and  tones  of  meaning  are 
comprehended  in  this  word  "  Love  "  !  So  it  is 
in  common  language,  and  even  when  one  spe- 
cific use  of  it  has  been  excluded.  So  it  is  in 
Scripture.  There  is  a  difference  in  the  love  of 
God  as  God,  of  Jesus  Christ  as  Saviour,  of  our 
friends  and  relations,  of  our  neighbours,  of  our 
enemies,  of  our  people,  of  our  kind.  It  is  all  love, 
but  with  what  various  combinations  of  idea  and 
casts  and  measures  of  feeling!  So  on  the  divine 
side.  The  Father  loved  the  Son;  God  loved  the 
world;  Jesus  loved  his  own  (in  that  common 
character);  He  loved  them  as  individuals;  He 
"  loved  Martha  and  Mary  and  Lazarus,"  and  there 
was  one  disciple  "  whom  Jesus  loved."  We  are 
all  sensible  of  the  differences  of  impression  con- 
veyed in  these  connexions,  though  it  would  be 
vain  to  attempt  to  describe  them.  Furthermore, 
we  remember  at  what  a  disadvantage  we  are,  com- 
pared with  those  who  wrote  in  Greek  or  Latin, 
having  but  one  word  in  our  English  use  to  express 
the  two  that  they  had  in  theirs,  and  which  they 
employed  with  an  intentional  and  often  an  exact 
discrimination.  Trench  (''  Synonyms  of  the  N.  T.," 
p.  43)  distinguishes  the  force  of  the  words  a^a-rrdoi 
and  (^iXico ;  and,  iu  reference  to  their  interchange 


36  THE   INCIDENTS 


ill  the  exemplary  passage  (John  xxi.  15-17^),  he 
observes:  "All  this  subtle  and  delicate  play  of 
feeling  disappears,  perforce,  in  a  translation  which 
either  does  not  care,  or  is  not  able,  to  reproduce 
the  variation  of  the  words  as  they  exist  in  the 
original."  Whether  it  cared  or  not,  certainly  it 
was  not  able,  as  the  Revised  Version  has  itself 
practically  confessed.  Here,  however,  we  are  con- 
cerned only  with  one  of  these  words  (^dyaTrdo)^ 
which  became  the  great  Christian  verb,  and 
brought  into  use  the  cognate  noun  which  hea- 
thenism did  not  employ.^  The  verb  and  substan- 
tive occurring  thirty  times  in  these  chapters 
stamps  their  contents  as  a  ministry  of  love. 
Yet,  as  the  force  of  words  is  best  felt  by  com- 
parison, it  may  be  observed  that,  while  the  other 
word  (0t\ea))  has  more  of  the  instinctive  and 
emotional  (it  may  be  even  unreasoning)  char- 
acter of  personal  friendship  or  affection,  this 
word  (^dyairuo)')  expresses  more  of  motive  and  of 
purpose ;  it  is  a  larger,  deeper  love,  from  con- 
scious reasons  and  settled  dispositions,  out  of 
reach  of  caprices  of  feeling.  These  characters 
of  love,  thus  distinguished,  are  plainly  not  op- 
posed. Nay,  they  are  closely  related,  the  one 
disposing   to  the  other.      In  perfect   human  love 

1  Au,i?ustin,  imperfect  in  linguistic  skill,  from  the  same  pas- 
sage (Irduccs  the  conclusion  that  the  equivalent  words  in  Latin 
indiiferably  represent  the  same  idea. 

2  "  dydirri,  vox  solum  biblica  et  eccleslastica."  — Gkimm, 


THE   PREAMBLE  37 


they  are  one.  In  fact,  they  are  one  here.  But 
enough  has  been  said;  for  love  does  not  yield 
itself  to  analysis  and  definition.  In  such  attempts 
its  life  seems  to  evaporate  and  the  sense  of  it  to 
pass  from  us. 

In  regard  to  tliis  love  of  Christ,  the  one  distinc- 
tion to  be  recognised  here  is  that  between  his  love 
to  the  world,  and  to  his  own  which  are  in  the 
world.  The  love  of  Christ  to  the  world  is  love  to 
men  as  such ;  He  being  the  head  of  the  creation, 
which  through  Him  came  into  being,  and  of  the 
race  of  whose  reason  and  conscience.  He,  as  the 
Eternal  Word,  is  the  author,  and  with  which, 
in  taking  flesh.  He  has  assumed  a  natural  and  uni- 
versal kindred.  It  is  a  love  of  compassion  and 
benevolence  and  divine  desire,  in  which  He  gives 
Himself  for  all,  and  dies  for  all,  and  provides  recon- 
ciliation, and  preaches  peace,  and  seeks  the  lost, 
and  waits  to  be  gracious,  and  would  "  draw  all  men 
to  Himself."  But  the  love  for  his  own  which  are 
in  the  world  is  no  longer  mere  desire  and  en- 
deavour. It  is  being  realised  in  results  intended. 
It  has  found  response,  and  is  generating  a  recipro- 
cal life,  and  has  the  joy  of  exercising  an  attraction 
which  is  felt  and  owned,  and  of  carrying  on  a  work 
which  imparts  blessing  and  tends  to  perfection, 
restoring  men  to  God  through  relations  with  Him 
Avho  has  loved  them,  relations  which  are  spiritual, 
intimate,  and  eternal.     Such  love  enters  into  the 


38  THE   INCIDENTS 


inner  life  of  the  beloved,  and  linds  occasion  for  its 
exercise  in  their  needs  and  dangers,  their  infirm- 
ities and  failings.  It  delights  to  comfort  and  pro- 
tect, to  cleanse,  to  heal,  to  strengthen,  to  exalt. 
It  is  an  inexhaustible  fountain  of  gifts ;  it  is  the 
"love  of  Christ  which  passeth  knoAvledge."  Yet, 
being  true  love,  it  is  not  content  to  give.  It  desires 
also  to  receive.  It  would  be  understood  and  trusted 
and  confided  in.  It  invites  sympathy  and  fellow- 
ship. It  claims  reciprocity  of  affection.  It  would 
not  only  love,  but  be  loved.  Even  in  these  last 
respects  this  is  the  character  of  the  love  which 
these  chapters  disclose.  For  our  sake  they  dis- 
close it,  teaching  us  how  He  once  loved,  and  l^y 
consequence  how  He  ever  loves,  how  He  now  loves, 
his  own  which  are  in  the  world. 

Reflection  on  the  nature  of  the  love  here  ex- 
pressed, puts  us  on  observing  the  form  and  man- 
ner of  its  expression,  giving  a  certain  aspect  to  the 
scenes  which  follow.  Love  is  far-reaching  and  con- 
veys its  blessings  down  into  the  centre  and  heart 
of  life  ;  but  it  has  also  SAveet  influences  on  its  out- 
ward aspect,  and  gentle  lights  which  play  upon  its 
surface.  Where  these  are  wanting,  the  kindest 
intentions  and  most  generous  sacrifices  often  lose 
something  of  their  effect;  at  least,  they  leave 
something  to  desire.  No  such  want  is  here.  In 
this,  the  longest  record  of  more  intimate  liours,  we 
see  with  greater  distinctness  the  character  of  the 


THE   PREAMBLE 


intercourse  which  love  had  created,  in  the  terms  on 
which  the  Lord  lived  with  the  disciples,  and  the 
disciples  with  the  Lord.  In  a  measure  this  is 
understood  from  the  notices  of  private  converse 
scattered  through  all  the  Gospels.  On  exceptional 
occasions  there  is  an  overmastering  sense  of  awe. 
"  Depart  from  me,  for  I  am  a  sinful  man,  O  Lord." 
"  What  manner  of  man  is  this  that  even  the  winds 
and  the  sea  obey  Him  ?  "  "  They  feared  to  ask 
Him  of  that  saying."  "  They  followed  Him  trem- 
bling." But,  notwithstanding  this,  the  general  habit 
is  easy  and  unconstrained.  They  are  not  only  his 
school,  but  his  family ;  He  lives  wdth  them,  and 
his  presence  gives  grace  and  sweetness  to  the  com- 
mon life.  Even  to  the  public,  the  great  Teacher 
was  not  austere.  In  contrast  to  the  Baptist,  "  the 
Son  of  Man  came  eating  and  drinking,"  and  en- 
tered where  He  was  invited,  and  sat  down  to  meat. 
And  the  nearer  men  were  to  Him,  the  more  the 
kindliness,  as  well  as  the  holiness,  was  felt.  Take 
for  example  the  little  incident  in  Matt.  xvii.  24-27. 
Peter  comes  in  with  a  doubtful  question  on  his 
mind.  "But  Jesus  prevented  him.  What  thinkest 
thou,  Simon?  Of  whom  do  the  kings  of  the  earth 
take  custom  or  tribute  ?  from  their  sons  or  from 
strangers  ?  When  he  said  from  strangers,  Jesus 
said  to  him.  Then  the  sons  are  free.  But  lest 
we  should  offend  them  go  thou  to  the  sea,  and 
cast   an    hook,    and    take    up    the    lish    that    first 


40  THE    INCIDENTS 


Cometh  up ;  and  when  tlioii  hast  opened  liis  mouth 
thou  shalt  find  a  shekel ;  that  take  and  give  unto 
them /or  me  and  thee.''''  Other  incidents  might  be 
cited  in  which  this  sweetness  of  association  ap- 
pears, adding  the  terms  and  tokens  of  human  affec- 
tion to  the  deeper  love  of  the  Eternal  Friend, 
interweaving,  so  to  speak,  the  (juXelv  with  the 
d'yatrav. 

In  these  chapters  this  characteristic  impresses 
us  strongly — most  distinctly  in  the  words  of  love 
that  are  spoken ;  but  there  is  an  indefinable  pres- 
ence of  it  in  all  that  transpires.  We  observe  it 
in  the  sop  handed  to  Judas,  as  later  more  pain- 
fully in  the  traitorous  kiss,  traces  of  terms  which 
had  subsisted  before.  We  observe  it  in  all  reclin- 
ing together,  in  John  leaning  back  on  the  Master's 
breast  and  looking  up  to  ask  for  the  word  of  secret 
confidence.  We  observe  it  in  the  straightforward 
questions  and  eager  utterances  of  Peter,  and  in 
the  expostulatory  interruptions  of  Thomas,  of 
Philip,  and  of  Jude.  In  all  that  passes  there  is 
an  absence  of  constraint,  a  natural  and  trustful 
freedom,  which  gives  a  lively  sense  of  the  relations 
in  which  they  were  used  to  live.  Among  our- 
selves we  are  all  sensitive  to  the  different  effect 
in  this  respect  which  the  presence  of  one  person, 
or  another  will  create.  It  is  not  exactly  the  dif- 
ference in  degrees  of  reverence  or  of  love.  These 
feelings  may  exist  alike   in  either  case.     But  in 


THE   PREAMBLE  41 


one  presence  there  is  a  feeling  of  constraint:  Ave 
are  careful  what  we  say,  and  doubtful  how  it  may 
be  taken.  In  another  we  feel  at  ease ;  behave 
naturally,  and  say  what  comes  into  our  minds. 
It  is  remarkable  indeed  that  these  latter  terms 
should  have  so  far  subsisted  in  association  with 
One  who  looked  men  through  and  through,  and 
whose  words  and  acts  made  ever-fresh  and  ever- 
increasing  impressions  of  mj'sterious  majesty  and 
power.  In  the  coexistence  of  these  profound 
impressions  with  what  I  venture  to  call  a  happy 
companionship  we  are  sensible  of  a  singular,  or 
rather  a  unique,  effect.  Evidently  there  was  an 
attractive  power  in  the  presence  of  Jesus  of  Naza- 
reth, which  inspired  those  nearest  to  Him  with  as 
much  of  trustfulness  as  of  reverence.  And  now 
when  some  gi-eat  crisis  is  felt  to  be  at  hand,  when 
the  dark  cloud  of  sorrow  is  descending  on  the 
little  company,  it  is  all  the  more  touching  to  note 
the  continuance  of  these  mutual  relations,  so  sweet 
and  confiding,  notwithstanding  the  clear  conscious- 
ness, on  the  one  side,  of  all  that  is  coming,  and  the 
bewildered  ignorance  of  it  on  the  other.  Down  to 
the  very  close  of  his  life  in  the  flesh,  on  the  verge 
of  the  departure  to  the  Father,  "having  loved  his 
own  which  were  in  the  world,  He  loved  them  to 
the  end." 


42  THE    INCIDENTS 


CHAPTER   II 

AT   SUPPER 

"And  during  supper  ...  he  risetli  from  the  supper."  —  v.  2-4. 

As  the  first  verse  is  an  introduction  to  the 
whole  record,  so  are  the  next  three  verses  an  in- 
troduction to  this  chapter.  It  just  mentions  the 
occasion  of  the  incidents  to  be  rehited,  and  then 
states  more  fully  tlie  consciousness  under  which 
the  Lord  acted  with  reference  to  them  both. 

The  occasion  is  a  supper.  "  Supper  being 
ended  "  is  the  Authorised  ;  "•  During  supper,"  the 
Revised  translation.  There  are  two  readings, 
giving  different  tenses  to  the  verbs.  Beiirvou, 
ryevojjLevov,  when  supper  took  place,  or  was  come ; 
heiiTvov  lyLvo/xevou.,  when  supper  was  taking  place, 
or  in  course  of  it.  Neither  of  them  Avould  mean 
that  it  was  ended;  and  either  of  them  Avould 
naturally  suggest  the  early  part  of  the  meal  rather 
than  the  close  of  it. 

But  what  supper  is  this?     When?  and  where  ? 
There  is  no  information.     That  is  after  the  man-' 
ner   of   St.    John.     No  writer   can    show  a  more 
vivid  recollection  of  details.     "  Some  memories," 
says  Professor  Sanday,  writing  on  the  feeding  of 


AT   SUPPER  43 


the  five  thousand,  "  are  essentially  pictorial ;  and 
this  Apostle's  appears  to  have  been  one  of  these. 
It  is  wonderful  with  what  precision  every  stroke 
is  thrown  in  "  (p.  123).  Yet  no  writer  introduces 
his  incidents  more  suddenly,  or  tells  so  little  of 
the  connexions  and  surroundings  of  his  scenes. 
They  appear  as  islands  of  memory,  emerging  into 
clear  light  from  circumambient  mists.  What  was 
the  cause  of  this  fragmentary  use  of  a  power 
which  existed  in  so  remarkable  a  degree,  and 
which  is  illustrated  in  this  very  chapter?  There 
was  a  twofold  cause,  —  a  definite  purpose  in  writ- 
ing, and  a  sense  of  previous  information  in  his 
readers. 

The  definite  purpose  is  on  the  face  of  the  book. 
It  is  written  not  as  a  "  Life  of  Christ,"  nor  even 
as  an  account  of  his  manifestation,  but  only  of  a 
certain  line  of  it ;  namely,  that  which  exhibits  the 
fullest  expression  of  his  own  revelation  of  Him- 
self. This  plan  of  limitation  to  a  purpose  and  of 
selection  from  far  larger  resources  for  a  practical 
end  is  avowed  at  the  close  of  the  book.  "  Many 
other  signs  did  Jesus  in  the  presence  of  his  disci- 
l)les,  which  are  not  written  in  this  book :  but  these 
are  written  that  ye  may  believe  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God ;  and  that  believing  ye  may 
have  life  in  his  name"  (xx.  30,  31). 

Also,  according  to  trustworthy  tradition  the 
linal  composition  was  late  in   life,  therefore  in  the 


44  THE   INCIDENTS 


midst  of  an  established  Christianity.  In  the  facts 
of  the  evangelical  history,  as  Ave  learn  from  St. 
Luke,  converts  like  Theophilus  "were  "  orally 
instructed."  Moreover,  "  many  had  taken  in  hand 
to  write "  them,  and  there  is  ample  reason  to 
believe  that  not  only  was  the  information  which 
is  perpetuated  in  the  synoptic  gospels  previously 
diffused  in  the  churches,  but  that  those  writings 
themselves  were  already  in  men's  hands.  In  such 
circumstances  St.  John  could  well  confine  him- 
self to  his  own  special  contribution.  He  wrote, 
we  are  told,  by  one  authorit}^  "  impelled  by  his 
friends  and  divinely  moved  by  the  Spirit " ;  by 
another,  "his  fellow-disciples  and  bishops,  ur- 
gently exhorting  him ";  by  another,  "constrained 
by  his  brothers  to  write."  ^  The  peculiar  brevity  of 
his  two  letters,  and  certain  woixls  in  them,  incline 
me  to  think  that  work  with  "  paper  and  ink,"  with 
"ink  and  pen,"  was  not  congenial  to  liis  halut;  but, 
also,  no  doubt  he  felt  all  the  gravity  of  an  act 
which  would  present  to  all  the  world,  and  fix  in  final 
shape  for  ever  the  highest  testimony  which  he  had 
been  used  to  bear.  To  that  he  could  confine  him- 
self, as  writing  for  those  who  had  other  sources  of 
information. 

Thus  he  pursues  the  line  of  teaching  which 
he  intends,  with  the  slightest  possible  notice,  or 
without  any  notice,  of  connected  facts  or  of  cir- 

1  See  Bishop  Westcott's  "  Introduction,"  p.  35. 


AT   SUPPER  45 


cu instances  implied.  Thus  in  the  Gospel,  on  the 
whole,  he  can  give  the  chief  features  of  the  Judean 
ministry,  as  occurring  at  intervals  in  a  Galilean  life 
which  he  intimates,  but  does  not  relate.  So  in 
the  last  week  in  Jerusalem  the  days  crowded  with 
incident  are  nearly  all  passed  by,  in  order  to  reach 
at  once  that  particular  report  which  it  belongs  to 
him  to  give.  This  also  he  begins  at  once,  with  no 
explanation  as  to  place  or  time  or  occasion  save 
that  it  was  at  supper.  "  The  Discourse  in  the 
Upper  Room  "  it  is  called,  but  St.  John  does  not 
say  so.  How  that  room  was  chosen  by  the  Lord, 
how  it  was  found  by  the  disciples  furnished  and 
prepared,  how  "  they  made  ready  the  Passover," 
how,  "  when  the  hour  was  come  He  sat  down  with 
his  disciples,"  how  at  that  supper  He  instituted 
the  sacrament,  —  these  things  are  not  told.  They 
need  not  be  told;  for  certainly  that  supper  was  a 
living  memory  in  all  the  churches,  repeated  in 
their  feasts  of  love,  and  perpetuated  in  the  final 
Eucharist  and  Communion  of  the  Body  and  Blood. 
What  St.  John  has  to  record  is  the  teaching  given 
on  that  night,  and  he  writes  for  those  Avho  know 
when  and  where  it  was  given.  For  them  the 
mere  mention  of  supper  is  enough.  "During  a 
supper,"  Bishop  Westcott  would  translate,  but  that 
suggests  any  supper,  or  some  supper  unknown. 
"  During  supper "  of  the  Revised  Version  is  bet- 
ter, as  being  a  natural  expression  where  the  situ- 
ation is  understood. 


46  THE   IXCIDENTS 


St.  John's  narrative  alone  is  the  subject  for  the 
present  study,  yet  his  mention  of  the  supper  raises 
collateral  questions  which,  as  they  cannot  be  for- 
gotten, ought  to  receive  notice.  We  naturally 
ask:  1.  TFAere  was  this  supper?  2.  When  was  it 
held?  3.  What  was  its  character?  On  the  first 
of  these  questions  we  have  circumstantial  informa- 
tion. The  second  raises  a  question  of  great 
difficulty.  On  the  third  we  have  a  measure  of 
certainty.  But  in  consequence  of  St.  John's 
method  of  limitation  to  his  own  topics,  the  answers 
to  these  questions,  whatever  they  might  be,  or  the 
absence  of  answers  to  them,  would  scarcely  in 
any  degree  affect  the  interpretation  of  the  words 
which  we  have  to  consider. 

1.  The  place  of  the  supper  was,  as  we  learn 
from  the  synoptics,  a  matter  both  of  special  selec- 
tion and  of  cautious  intimation.  Nothing  is  said 
till  the  last  moment,  when  there  is  just  time  to 
act,  and  the  disciples  enquire  what  they  are  to  do. 
No  place  is  named  ;  but  the  two  confidential  per- 
sons, Peter  and  John,  are  sent  (so  to  speak)  with 
sealed  instructions.  They  will,  at  the  entrance  of 
tlie  city,  meet  a  man  bearing  a  pitcher  of  water, 
and  are  to  follow  him  into  the  house  which  he 
enters.  They  are  to  give  a  message  to  the  owner: 
The  Master  saith,  My  time  is  at  hand.  Where  is 
the  guest  chamber  where  I  sliall  eat  the  Pass- 
over with  my  disciples  ?     Tliat  message  would  be 


AT   SUPrER  47 


enough.  It  would  prove  to  be  the  house  of  a 
friend.  He  would  welcome  the  party  denounced 
by  the  authorities,  whom  most  other  houses  would 
have  feared  to  receive.  He  would  shew  them  a 
large  upper  room  furnished  and  ready.  In  the 
crowded  state  of  the  city  it  was  not  to  be  expected 
that  such  an  apartment  should  remain  to  the  last 
unoccupied  and  unengaged.  We  recognise  in  it 
all  both  a  divine  knowledge  and  also  a  secret 
providence.  But  why  this  caution  ?  It  is  part  of 
the  prudence  which  the  critical  circumstances  re- 
quired. Bystanders  shall  know  nothing,  Judas 
shall  know  nothing  of  the  place  till  the  moment  it 
is  entered.  There  shall  be  no  intelligence  which 
can  precipitate  the  events  of  the  night.  The 
chosen  place  shall  be  secure,  so  long  as  it  is  needed 
for  the  solemn  institution,  the  holy  teachings,  tlie 
last  converse,  of  which  it  is  to  be  the  scene.  These 
shall  not  be  interrupted.  There  shall  be  no  inva- 
sion or  seizure  here.  Thus  the  large  upper  room 
became  the  first  Christian  Church,  to  which  all 
churches  in  Christendom  are  extensions  or  succes- 
sions, the  place  of  the  passage  from  the  old  cove- 
nant to  the  new ;  of  the  first  celebration  of  the 
Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  of  the  highest 
teaching  from  the  Lord's  own  lips,  and  probably 
of  the  prayer  which  opens  the  intercessions  above. 
2.  From  the  place  of  the  supper  we  turn  to  the 
time.     As  to    the  da}'  of  the   week,  there   is  un- 


48  THE    INCIDENTS 


doubted  certainty ;  as  to  the  day  of  the  month,  an 
enduring  debate. 

The  Lord's  "Last  Supper  "  was,  according  to  all 
the  Gospels,  on  "  the  same  night  on  which  He  was 
betrayed,"  and  that  is  shown  by  the  sequence  of 
events  to  have  been  Thursday.  The  supper  with 
all  its  incidents,  the  agony  in  the  garden,  the  arrest, 
trials,  condemnation,  crucifixion,  and  hurried  burial 
were  all  comprised  in  one  day  of  twenty-four  hours, 
reckoned,  according  to  Jewish  method,  from  sun- 
set on  Thursday  to  sunset  on  Friday,  "  when  the 
Sabbath  drew  on."  After  that  silent  Sabbath, 
very  early  in  the  morning,  the  Lord  rose  from  the 
dead ;  and,  in  order  to  secure  the  celebration  of 
the  Resurrection  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  the 
instinct  of  the  Church  has  (universall}^  since  the 
termination  of  the  quarto-deciman  controversy) 
adhered  to  the  weekly,  without  regard  to  the 
monthly  date. 

Whether  in  that  year  the  Thursday  fell  on 
the  loth  Nisan,  as  we  should  gather  from  St. 
John,  or  on  the  14th,  as  it  appears  in  the  syn- 
optic gospels,  has  been  debated  of  old,  and  is 
debated  still.  "  These  seeming  differences,"  says 
Waterland,^  "  have  occasioned  very  long  and  intri- 
cate disputes  between  Greeks  and  Latins,  and 
among  learned  men,  both  ancient  and  modern, 
which  remain  even  to  this    day."      Li  our  time 

1  "  Doctrine  of  the  Eucharist,"  ch.  ii. 


AT   SUPPER  49 


they  have  been  renewed  with  fuller  investigation 
and  greater  critical  skill.  After  reading  a  multi- 
tude of  these  discussions,  I  am  the  more  disposed 
to  adopt  the  words  in  which  this  author  continues : 
"  I  shall  not  presume  to  take  the  place  of  a  mod- 
erator in  so  nice  a  debate,  but  shall  be  content  to 
report  as  much  as  may  serve  to  give  the  reader 
some  notion  of  it  for  my  present  purpose."  His 
statement  of  the  three  schemes  or  opinions  on  the 
matter  is  still  sufficient.  "1.  The  most  ancient 
and  most  prevailing  is  that  our  Lord  kept  the 
legal  Passover  on  the  same  day  with  the  Jews  " 

(that  is  scarcely  the  most  prevailing  now). "  The 

second  opinion  is  tliat  He  anticipated,  for  weighty 
reasons,  the  time  of  the  Jewish  Passover;  and  so 
kept  his  before  theirs.  3.  The  third  opinion  is 
that  He  kept  no  Passover,  properly  so  called,  but 
had  a  supper,  and  afterwards  instituted  the  Eucha- 
rist, the  mystical  or  Christian  Passover." 

The  first  opinion  supposes  Thursday  to  be  the 
14th  Nisan,  and  for  it  the  synoptic  gospels,  on 
the  face  of  them,  seem  decisive.  The  second 
and  third  opinions  suppose  Thursday  to  be  the 
13th,  making  the  14th  to  be  the  day  of  the 
crucifixion;  and  that  is  the  inference  naturally 
drawn  from  the  language  of  St.  John.  It  is  not 
within  the  present  purpose  to  argue  the  case, 
and  so  add  another  to  the  discussions  in  which 
everything  possible  seems  to  have  been  said ;  espe- 


50  THE   INCIDENTS 


cially  as  tlie  view  which  I  take  has  been  reached 
with  hesitation,  and  is  not  tliat  of  the  commenta- 
tors, whom  in  general  I  should  he  most  inclined 
to  follow.  Confining  myself  to  the  Gospels,  it 
seems  to  me  that  the  synoptic  witness  for  the  14th 
Nisan  is  explicit,  and  cannot  without  the  greatest 
force  be  made  compatible  with  the  other  opinion  ; 
and  that  St.  John's  apparent  witness  for  the  13th 
is  an  inference,  and  can  be  far  more  easily  ex- 
plained in  conformity  with  the  other  supposition. 

"  The  Feast  of  the  Passover,"  as  commonly 
spoken  of,  consisted  of  two  parts,  which  in  the 
law  of  institution  are  discriminated ;  e.g.  in  Num. 
xxviii.  16, 17,  "  In  the  fourteenth  day  of  the  first 
month  is  the  Passover  of  the  Lord ;  and  in  the 
fifteenth  day  is  the  Feast :  seven  days  shall  un- 
leavened bread  be  eaten,"  the  first  and  last  of  these 
seven  being  days  of  "  holy  convocation."  But  by 
custom,  though  not  by  law,  the  14th  Nisan  was 
reckoned  as  "  the  first  day  of  unleavened  bread," 
all  leaven  being  put  away  at  an  early  hour,  accord- 
ing to  the  Jewish  system  of  creating  margins  so 
as  to  make  "  a  fence  around  the  Law." 

On  this  "  the  first  day  of  unleavened  bread " 
(saj^s  St.  Matthew),  "the  first  day  of  unleavened 
bread  when  they  sacrificed  the  Passover  "  (says  St. 
Mark),  "  the  day  of  unleavened  bread  when  the 
Passover  must  be  sacrificed  "  (says  St.  Luke),  "the 
disciples  came  to  Jesus,  saying,  Where  wilt  thou 


AT   SUPPER  51 


that  we  make  ready  for  Thee  to  eat  the  Passover?" 
They  were  sent  with  the  message :  "  Where  is  the 
guest-chamber  where  I  eat  the  Passover  with  my 
disciples?"  (Luke).  "  They  made  ready  the  Pass- 
over" (Matt.).  "When  the  hour  was  come"  (evi- 
dently the  regular  hour),  "  they  sit  down,  and  Jesus 
says :  With  desire  I  have  desired  to  eat  this  Pass- 
over with  you  before  I  suffer"  (Luke).  All  this 
seems  as  plain  as  anything  can  be  for  the  paschal 
meal,  hekl  at  the  appointed  hour  on  the  appointed 
day,  the  evening  of  the  14th  Nisan. 

Li  St.  John  the  expressions  which  look  the  other 
way  are,  first,  the  opening  words  of  this  section: 
''  Before  the  Feast  of  the  Passover  when  Jesus 
knew,"  etc.  -,  secondly,  the  supposition  when  Judas 
left  the  room  that  he  might  be  sent  "to  buy  some- 
thing for  the  feast " ;  and  thirdly,  the  care  of  the 
priests  not  to  enter  the  prcetorium,  "that  they 
should  not  be  defiled,  but  that  they  might  eat  the 
Passover."  These  expressions  naturally  imply  that 
the  Passover  would  be  kept  on  the  evening  of  Fri- 
day ;  but  they  are  incidental  expressions,  not  like 
the  positive  statements  of  the  synoptics,  and  do  not 
necessitate  the  inference  which  they  suggest.  "  Be- 
fore the  Feast  of  the  Passover  "  regards  not  merely 
the  paschal  supper,  but  the  whole  feast  which  it 
inaugurated,  as  being  the  predestined  time  for  de- 
parting out  of  this  world  unto  the  Father.  The 
purchase  of  things  for  the  feast  would  refer,  quite 


52  THE   INCIDENTS 


naturally,  to  things  wanted  for  the  Chagigah,  the 
great  festival  day  which  followed  the  paschal  sup- 
per. In  regard  to  the  avoiding  defilement  on  the 
Friday  morning  in  order  to  "eat  the  Passover," 
the  expression  may  probably  have  been  in  use  for 
participation  in  the  sacrifices  and  sanctified  food  of 
that  day.  In  fact,  the  defilement  in  the  early  morn- 
ing would  only  have  lasted  to  the  evening,  and  so 
would  not  have  disqualified  for  eating  the  paschal 
supper.i  These  explanations  of  the  words  in  St. 
John  are  at  least  far  more  admissible  than  those 
which  have  been  offered  on  the  other  side  in  regard 
to  the  language  of  the  synoptics. 

We  have  further  to  take  into  account  that 
throughout  the  Gospel  St.  John  writes  freel}^  as 
for  persons  well  informed  of  facts  which  he  omits. 
If  any  occasion  was  well  known  in  the  Church, 
certainly  this  was,  through  the  universal  celebra- 
tion of  the  Supper;  and  as  the  Institution  of  the 
Sacrament  is  given  only  by  the  synoptics,  their 
statement  of  that  institution  and  their  account  of 
the  circumstances  of  the  supper,  must  stand  or  fall 
together.  As  to  their  account  itself,  the  remark- 
ably lively  details  are  evidence  of  an  authentic 
report,  and  forbid  all  thoughts  of  a  later  and 
erroneous  tradition.  I  must  say,  with  Luthardt, 
"  It  cannot  be  made  conceivable  how  the  error 
could  have  come  into  the  synoptic  account.  Let 
1  Edersheim,  vol.  ii.  p.  2GG.     Luthardt,  vol.  iii.  p.  251. 


AT   SUPPER  53 


the  lirst  three  Gospels  be  written  by  whom  they 
may,  they  are  not  to  be  looked  upon  as  literary 
products  of  individual  writers,  but  as  fixing  the 
primal  Church,  Christian  tradition,  as  it  was  com- 
monly familiar  in  the  home  of  tliat  tradition,  and 
went  back  to  the  reports  made  by  the  Apostles 
themselves  "  (vol.  iii.  p.  245).  From  this  point  of 
view  I  read  the  Fourth  Gospel  as  written  for  those 
who  held  this  common  tradition,  and  to  whom  its 
incidental  expressions  would  suggest  no  other  idea. 
Anyhow,  the  language  has  no  character  of  emphatic 
statement  and  correction  of  a  mistake.  The  writer 
seems  unconscious  of  any  difference  of  opinion  on 
the  subject,  and  if  he  really  does  mean  that  the 
evening  was  the  13th  Nisan,  he  supposes  that  to 
be  generally  known  and  accepted,  and  we  are  then 
brouglit  to  the  liarder  task  of  explaining  the  sy- 
noptic account  by  such  methods  as  we  may.^ 

1  This  is  attempted  on  various  lines ;  e.g.  an  anticipatory 
Passover  on  tlie  previous  day,  "Before  I  suffer"  (Godet)  ;  a 
true  Passover  on  tlie  riglit  day,  tlie  Jews  keeping  tlieirs  on  a 
wrong  one  (Stier),  etc.  The  conclusion  for  the  13th  Nisan 
is  maintained  by  most  recent  English  commentators.  See  Man- 
sel  on  Matt.  xxvi.  (Speaker)  ;  Farmr  on  Luke  xxii.  (Cambridge 
Bible)  ;  Sunday,''  Historical  Cliaracter  of  Fourth  Gospel,"  p.  210  ; 
Westrntt,  "  Introduction  to  Study  of  Gospel,"  p.  339.  I  do  not 
argue  the  case,  and  have  taken  note  of  nothing  beyond  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Gospels  ;  but  there  are  many  other  elements  in  the 
intricate  discussion.  I  will  only  note  one  point  which,  in  the 
arguments  that  I  have  seen,  does  not  appear  to  receive  due 
attention.  It  is  assumrd  that  the  coincidence  of  the  moment  of 
the  death  of  Christ  with  that  appouited  for  the  offering  of  the 


54  THE   INCIDENTS 


The  third  question  which  was  proposed,  that  on 
the  character  of  tlie  supper,  is,  of  course,  fully 
answered,  if  it  be  taken  as  held  on  the  14th 
Nisan.  It  was  then  in  all  respects  the  regular 
paschal  meal.  But  if  it  be  taken  as  held  on  the 
13th,  this  character  is  not,  on  that  account,  obliter- 
ated, since  the  advocates  of  this  opinion  generally 
represent  it  as  a  partial  or  anticipatory  Passover. 
Certainly  the  "  Last  Supper  "  was  not  an  ordinary 
meal,  but  in  some  sense  or  other  a  Passover,  hav- 
ing its  large  suggestions,  its  significant  stages  and 
ritual  customs,  and  the  present  narrative  is  so  far 
in  harmony  with  such  an  occasion,  as  it  gives  the 
impression  of  a  meal  protracted  by  customary  acts 
(marked  in  one  place  by  the  giving  of  the  sop) 
and  allowing  space  for  holy  converse.  The  open- 
paschal  lamb  is  essential  to  the  analogy.  But  the  historical 
event  was  composite,  consisting  of  safety  in  destruction  and  the 
exodus  which  followed.  The  "Feast  of  the  Passover"  cele- 
brated the  event  as  a  whole,  including  the  preliminary  sacrifice 
and  meal  on  the  14th  Nisan,  and  tlie  exodus  whicli  commenced 
on  the  15th.  The  "Memorial  Day"  (Ex.  xii.  14)  began  with 
the  first  night  and  extended  to  the  second,  "the  night  to  be 
much  observed  unto  the  Lord  for  bringing  them  out  from  the 
land  of  E(jiipt.  This  is  that  night  of  the  Lord,  to  be  observed 
of  aU  the  children  of  Israel  in  their  generations"  (v.  42).  — In 
the  antitype,  also,  this  memorial  day  included  the  entire  event, 
from  the  evening  when  the  Lord  yielded  himself  to  die,  to'  the 
evening  when  He  entered  upon  "his  exodus"  in  death  (Luke 
ix.  ol).  In  the  supreme  moment  the  whole  composite  event 
was  comprised.  Tliu  sacrifice  was  consuuunated,  and  the  ex- 
odus commenced. 


AT   SUPPER  65 


ing  words,  "before  the  Feast  of  the  Passover," 
certainly  connect  all  that  passes  with  that  thought, 
and  make  it  a  paschal  supper  for  the  Lord ;  and 
all  is  in  harmony  with  such  a  closing  of  the  past  and 
opening  up  of  the  future,  as  is  represented  in  the 
synoptic  gospels,  when  they  shew  the  last  celebra- 
tion of  the  Passover  passing  into  the  institution  of 
the  Eucharist.  There  in  the  form  of  sacrament 
the  old  is  seen  passing  into  the  new ;  here  in  the 
form  of  discourse  a  corresponding  transition  is  ex- 
pected. The  words  of  farewell  to  the  past  become 
expository  of  an  immediate  and  expanding  future. 
They  are  voices  of  departure,  but  departure  into  a 
new  spiritual  scene.  The  supper  in  St.  John  is 
held  on  the  eve  of  a  great  exodus. 

Some  notice  of  the  questions  on  the  place,  the 
time,  and  the  character  of  the  supper  seemed  im- 
[)erative,  but,  in  respect  of  the  narrative  which 
we  follow,  it  is  parenthetic.  That  has  only 
the  words  "  during  supper "  or  "  supper  being 
come,"'  and  goes  straight  to  incidents  and  dis- 
courses which  will  not  be  aftected  in  their  inter- 
pretation by  the  solution  which  those  questions 
may  receive. 

And  first,  to  give  a  due  sense  of  the  situation, 
one  particular  must  be  mentioned ;  for  it  was  one 
which  not  only  cast  a  dark  shadow  on  the  com- 
mencement of  the  supper,  but  linked  it  at  its  end 
to  the  scenes  which  followed. 


56  THE   INCIDENTS 


Jesus  then  was  alone  Avith  the  twelve.  That  is 
not  stated  here,  but  is  understood  throughout. 
They  were  at  supper,  reclining,  as  the  manner  was, 
at  a  low  table,  leaning  each  on  his  left  side  against 
a  cushion,  half  turned  from  the  companion  on  his 
right,  the  unsandaled  feet  stretched  out  behind. 
The  friendly  house  was  a  haven  for  the  present. 
These  hours  were  an  interval  of  rest.  They  were 
all  brethren,  with  their  Lord  and  Master  in  the 
midst. 

But  in  family  union  and  at  a  common  meal  there 
may  be  one  with  an  unsuspected  secret  which 
isolates  him  inwardly  from  all  his  fellows.  Such 
an  one  was  here.  He  sat,  revolving  a  great  crime 
to  Avhich  he  had  pledged  himself  the  day  before, 
and  which  is  to  be  accomplished  that  night. 
''  The  Devil,"  it  is  said,  "  having  already  cast  into 
the  heart  of  Judas  Iscariot,  Simon's  son,  to  betray 
him."  It  seems  spoken  of  as  a  sudden  impulse  ; 
but  such  impulses  from  the  power  of  evil  fall  only 
on  hearts  prepared  for  them.  A  later  notice  of 
his  conduct  as  manager  for  the  company  tells  some- 
thing of  falseness  and  meanness  in  the  past ;  and 
of  late  his  heart  has  turned  against  his  Lord.  The 
repulsion  which  his  whole  nature  would  feel  from 
that  searching  insight  of  holiness  is  explanation 
enough.  But  two  days  before  the  Passover,  the 
dark  history  had  come  to  a  crisis.  When  Jesus 
had  finished  all  his  words  to  the  people  (Matt. 


AT  SUrPEU  57 


xxvi.  1),  and  when  He  depaited  and  did  hide  Him- 
self from  them  (John  xii.),  the  end  of  the  conflict 
was  close  and  clear.  It  was  announced  in  the 
circle  of  the  Apostles.  "  Ye  know  that  after  two 
days  the  Passover  takes  place,  and  the  Son  of  Man 
is  delivered  up  to  be  crucified."  If  others  could 
not  accept  it,  he  did.  It  sounded  to  him  as  a 
voice  of  despair.  The  enemies  would  triumph ; 
Jesus  would  succumb:  there  was  an  end  of  all 
thought  of  a  victory  and  a  kingdom  ;  all  that  is  lost : 
but  something  of  another  sort  may  be  got  —  per- 
haps thirty  pieces  of  silver  !  At  the  same  time  the 
council  of  death  is  being  held.  Through  some 
kindred  channel  of  information  he  knows  it ;  and 
learns  the  difficulty  which  he  is  just  the  man  to 
meet.  He  who  knows  so  well  the  private  hours 
and  quiet  places  of  resort,  can  manage  an  arrest 
Avhen  there  will  be  no  protection  from  multitude 
or  public  excitement.  The  offer  is  made,  and  the 
bargain  struck.  He  retuius  to  his  place  in  the 
company  with  the  secret  in  his  heart ;  and  more 
than  the  secret.  He  has  sold  himself  to  the  power 
of  darkness,  whose  hour  is  come.  He  sits  at  supper, 
a  hired  agent  of  the  Devil.  The  dark  shadow  of 
this  alien  element  must  pass  from  the  room,  before 
it  becomes  the  scene  of  the  farewell  words,  loving, 
holy,  and  serene.  That  removal  is  prepared,  but 
it  will  be  approached  by  degrees;  and  another 
incident  precedes  it. 


58  THE   INCIDENTS 


Both  incidents  are  purifications  preparatory  to 
the    communications  which  follow.      The  first  is 
a   symbolic   cleansing  of  the  whole   society ;   the 
second  is  the    elimination  of  the  evil  thing  that  " 
lurks  within  it. 


THE   WASHING   OF   THE   FEET  59 


CHAPTER   III 

THE   WASHING   OF   THE   FEET 

"Jesus  knowing  that  the  Father  had  given  all  things  into  his 
hands,  and  that  he  came  forth  from  God,  and  goeth  unto 
God,  riseth  from  supper,  and  layeth  aside  his  garments  ;  and 
he  took  a  towel  and  girded  himself.  Then  he  poureth  water 
'  into  the  bason  and  began  to  wash  the  disciples'  feet,  and  to 
wipe  them  with  the  towel  wherewith  lie  was  girded."  —  3-5. 

Again  we  read  of  the  consciousness  of  Jesus. 
By  thoughtful  observation,  by  sympathetic  appre- 
hension, and  by  special  illumination,  the  disciple 
nearest  to  his  heart  knows  and  interprets  his 
mind.  He  acted,  we  are  told,  under  a  present 
sense  of  the  truth  of  his  nature  and  the  majesty 
of  his  power,  which  the  conditions  of  the  flesh 
did  not  suspend  or  obscure.  In  the  view  of  the 
disciples  at  that  time  it  was  their  Lord  and  Master 
who  took  the  place  of  their  servant.  They  knew 
afterwards,  — they  were  learning  even  then,  — that 
it  was  "  the  Lord  of  all,"  "  come  forth  from  God  and 
going  to  God."  But  why  was  He  here  ?  "  Not  to 
be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister,  and  to  give 
his  life  a  ransom  for  many."  The  second  word 
will  be  fulfilled  on  the  morrow;    the  first  is  ex- 


60  THE   INCIDENTS 


pressed  afresh  on  the  last  evening  by  an  act  never 
to  be  forgotten. 

The  scene  is  depicted  with  the  vivid  memory  of 
the  writer,  in  all  its  movements  and  details,  from 
the  moment  when  Jesus  riseth  from  the  supper 
to  that  in  which  He  has  taken  his  garments  and  is 
set  down  again.  In  the  present  tenses  all  passes 
before  the  eye,  and  we  seem  to  share  the  surprise 
of  the  moment.  He  rises  from  the  supper,  He  is 
laying  aside  his  upper  garments.  Now  He  has 
taken  a  towel  and  girded  Himself,  as  a  servant  for 
household  work.  Now  He  casts  water  into  the 
bason.  In  the  room  "  furnished  and  prepared  " 
all  is  ready.  The  vittti'/p^  the  vessel  for  the  usual 
hand  or  foot  washing,  the  towels  for  wiping  are  at 
hand,  as  likely  to  be  used,  but  they  have  not  been 
used.  Had  there  been  some  neglect  ?  The  act  was 
proper  to  any  special  meal.  For  a  host  to  neglect 
it  was  deemed  a  want  of  attention,  worthy  of  re- 
proof. "Thou  gavest  Me  no  water  for  my  feet" 
(Luke  vii.  44).  But  there  was  no  servant  here  to 
do  it ;  and  it  did  not  occur  to  the  disciples  to  wash 
one  another's  feet.  Indeed,  they  lay  down  in  a 
very  different  frame  of  mind.  "  There  arose,"  St. 
Luke  tells  us,  "a  contention  among  them,  which 
of  them  is  accounted  to  be  greater"  (xxii.  24). 
This  could  not  have  been  after  the  touching  scene 
of  instruction,  and  it  belongs  naturally  to  the 
claims  of  precedence  in  taking  the  places  at  the 


Ill  THE    WASHING   OF   THE   FEET  61 

table.  Dr.  Edersheim  tliinks  that  the  first  place 
was  claimed  and  taken  by  Judas,  as  the  managing 
member  of  the  company.  He  seems  from  later 
words  to  have  been  next  to  his  Master,  on  one  side. 
A  little  time  may  have  been  given  for  this  dispute, 
and  then  it  was  answered  in  the  way  we  read  here. 

"  So  he  Cometh  to  Simon  Peter.  He  saith  to  him,  Lord 
dost  thou  wash  my  feet  ?  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto 
him,  What  I  do  thou  knowest  not  now  ;  but  thou  shalt  un- 
derstand hereafter.  Peter  saith  unto  him.  Thou  shalt  never 
wash  my  feet.  Jesus  answered  him.  If  I  wash  thee  not,  thou 
hast  no  part  with  me.  Simon  Peter  saith  unto  him,  Lord 
not  my  feet  only,  but  also  my  hands  and  my  head.  Jesus 
saith  unto  him,  He  that  is  bathed  needeth  not  save  to  wash 
his  feet,  but  is  clean  every  whit :  and  ye  are  clean,  but  not 
all.  For  he  knew  who  should  betray  him:  therefore  said 
he.  Ye  are  not  all  clean  "  (G-11). 

Peter  was  not  the  first  taken.  Certainly  he 
was  the  one  to  speak.  Can  anything  be  more  true 
to  nature  than  this  dialogue?  Here  is  the  same 
Peter  whom  we  know  from  the  other  evangelists, 
warm-hearted,  impulsive,  uttering  all  his  thoughts, 
and  when  corrected  liable  to  a  sudden  rebound. 

His  behaviour  here  is  a  study  of  character,  and,  as 
such,  is  instruction  and  admonition.  "  Lord,  dost 
thou  wash  my  feet?  "  (cru  ixov  virrTei':;  rov^  iroha^  :  ) 
Reverence  is  shocked,  humility  shrinks  back. 
But  is  it  reverence  to  question  the  Lord's  proceed- 
ings ?  Is  it  liumility  to  reject  his  methods  ?  to  re- 
ject them  absolutely,  even  when  corrected?    "  Thou 


62  THE   INCIDENTS 


shalt  never  wash  my  feet,"  never  (et?  top  aloiva).  — 
And  yet  again,  when  overcome  by  a  word  that 
alarms  his  soul,  it  is  less  submission  than  presump- 
tion which  would  improve  on  the  Lord's  methods 
and  dictate  what  shall  be  done.  Easily  may  good 
feelings  pass  into  faulty  conditions  of  mind,  and 
sincere  intentions  into  serious  dangers.  So  it  often 
happens  from  the  unsuspected  absence  of  the  true 
humility,  and  from  looking  at  things  from  our  own 
point  of  view,  instead  of  taking  that  at  which  the 
Lord  would  set  us. 

If  we  are  admonished  by  the  mistakes  of  the 
disciple,  much  more  are  we  instructed  by  the 
answers  which  correct  them.  They  have  the  fre- 
quent character  of  the  sayings  of  Jesus,  —  that  of 
meeting  the  occasion  and  at  the  same  time  going 
far  beyond  it. 

"  What  I  do  thou  knowest  not  now ;  but  thou 
shalt  understand  hereafter."  These  are  precise 
expressions  to  be  noted.  As  in  the  words  of 
Peter,  so  in  those  of  Christ,  the  pronouns  are 
made  prominent,  marking  the  contrast  betAveen  the 
"I  "  and  "  Thou  "  (o  iryoi  ttoico,  av  ovk  olSa?).  Also 
the  difference  between  two  kinds  of  knowing  (one 
that  of  intuitive  perception,  the  otlier  that  of 
acquired  understanding)  is  noted  in  this  passage, 
as  it  is  in  others,  by  use  of  the  two  verbs  el'Sco  and 
<yiV('ii(TK(o.  Any  one  may,  if  he  likes,  limit  these 
words  to  the  occasion,  the  "now"  {apn}  to  Peter's 


Ill  THE   WASHING   OF   THE   FEET  63 

ignorance  at  the  moment;  the  "liereafter"  (^fxera 
ravra)  to  the  subsequent  explanation ;  which  is 
certainly  their  first  intention.  But,  in  the  mind 
of  Christ,  how  true  it  was  of  all  that  He  was  doing 
then !  incomprehensible  as  it  was  at  the  time,  and 
only  to  be  understood  when  the  day  of  illumina- 
tion should  come.  Then  those  who  beheld  the  sub- 
mission to  death  would  understand  that  it  was  the 
redemption  of  the  world.  That  was  the  greatest 
of  all  instances ;  but  the  principle  is  ever  to  be 
borne  in  mind.  Christ  is  manifest  in  remembrance  ; 
the  dealings  of  God  are  explained  by  their  issues ; 
and  the  course  of  the  Kingdom  interpreted  in  the 
end.  It  is  a  sound  argument  to  silence  objections, 
to  arrest  hasty  conclusions,  and  to  maintain  the  faith 
and  patience  of  the  saints.  "  What  I  do  thou  know- 
est  not  now,  but  thou  shalt  understand  hereafter." 

The  two  other  words  are  on  one  subject,  —  the 
washing  itself.  It  has  been  a  question  whether 
any  meaning  is  to  be  ascribed  to  this  act  beyond 
that  which  will  shortly  be  given  to  it  as  a  lesson 
on  the  service  of  love.  In  that  case,  the  service  is 
the  only  point ;  the  form  of  it,  as  a  washing,  has 
no  special  significance,  and  the  washing,  as  applied 
to  the  disciples,  would  mean  only  their  submission 
to  be  thus  ministered  to,  and  their  own  participa- 
tion in  the  spirit  of  the  ministration.^     But  to  the 

1  Godet,  ii.  435:  "  Faut  il  voir,  avec  Hengstenberg,  dans  le 
lavement  des  pieds  un  symbole  du  pardon  du  peclie  par  le  sang 


64  THE    INCIDENTS 


act  of  washing,  as  such,  a  distinct  significance  is 
given  by  the  stern  warning  and  tlie  pregnant  say- 
ing wliich  follow ;  and  if  that  significance  be  not 
fully  admitted,  it  seems  to  me  that  the  act  loses 
much  of  its  symbolic  fitness,  and  very  much  of  its 
sweet  intention. 

Both  the  act  and  the  words  used  concerning  it 
suggest  other  passages  in  which  water,  washing, 
purification,  cleansing,  cleanness,  are  representa- 
tive of  spiritual  acts  and  experiences.  These  pre- 
sent a  certain  aspect  of  our  necessities  and  of  the 
provision  made  for  them  in  Christ,  which  is  dis- 
tinguishable (though  not   separable)  from  moral 

de  Christ  ?  Rien  dans  la  circonstance  qui  avait  donne  lieu  a  cet 
acte,  non  plus  que  dans  I'explication  qu'en  donne  Jesus  (v.  12 
et  suiv.)  ne  conduit  a  y  donner  ce  sens.  .  .  .  N'est  il  pas  tout 
simple  de  penser  que  Jesus  envisage  le  refus  de  Pierre  d'accepter 
le  service  qu'il  veut  lui  rendre  comme  un  refus  de  sa  part 
d'entrer  en  plein  dans  1' esprit  de  son  oeuvre  et  comme  un 
acte  de  perseverance  opiniatre  dans  I'amour  de  la  grandeur 
oharnelle,  dort  J6sus  voulait  precisement  purifier  ses  disciples 
en  leur  donnant  en  sa  personne  cet  exemple  d'luiuiilite." 

So  Edersheim,  ii.  500.  The  act  was  symbolic  as  meaning 
that  it  was  "required  to  wash  the  feet  in  spiritual  consecration 
to  the  service  of  love.  ...  So  his  words  referred  not,  as  is 
often  supposed,  to  the  forgiveness  of  daily  sins,  the  introduction 
of  which  would  have  been  wholly  abrupt  and  unconnected  with 
the  context ;  but,  in  contrast  to  all  self-seeking,  to  the  daily 
consecration  of  our  lives  to  the  service  of  love. ' ' 

On  the  contrary,  it  seems  to  me  that  the  idea  of  cleansing  is 
closely  connected  with  the  situation,  as  the  close  of  the  walk 
with  Christ;  and  to  resolve  "I  wash  thee,"  and  the  fuller 
words  which  follow,  into  the  self-consecration  of  humility  ap- 
peal's to  be  an  evasion  of  their  obviously  independent  meaning. 


Ill  THE    WASHING   OF   THE   FEET  65 

renovation,  and  also  from  judicial  forgiveness.  It 
is  an  aspect  wliicli  has  its  distinct  importance  in 
our  spiritual  consciousness  and  in  our  view  of  the 
work  of  Christ.  The  ideas  of  guilt  and  of  un- 
cleanness  are  certainly  different,  and  create  dif- 
ferent feelings  in  the  mind,  while  both  attach  to 
sin.  Both  ideas  were  exhibited,  both  feelings  were 
developed,  in  the  typical  scheme  of  tlie  Old  Testa- 
ment ;  and  both  ideas  were  interpreted  and  both 
feelings  were  satisfied  in  the  work  of  Him  avIio 
"came  by  water  and  blood."  But  the  removing 
of  the  uncleanness  has  behind  it  the  atoning  for 
guilt,  and  therefore  the  shedding  of  blood  is  the 
ultimate  condition  of  purification,  and  the  blood  is 
said  to  cleanse.  But  this  truth  is  here  in  the  back- 
ground, and  is  not  directly  represented  in  this  act 
or  these  words.  The  divers  washings  of  the  Old 
Testament  were  for  the  removal  of  uncleanness, 
both  in  the  distressing  sense  of  it,  and  still  more  in 
its  disqualifying  effect  in  regard  to  acts  of  min- 
istry, worship,  or  communion.  To  relieve  from 
these  effects  of  sin  is  one  consequence  (or  one  may 
say  one  side)  of  the  forgiveness  of  sin,  and  to  be- 
stow this  relief  is  the  prerogative  of  the  Son  of 
Man ;  and  He  was  expressing  it  now  by  tlic  act 
which  it  pleased  Him  to  perform.  He  was  ex- 
pressing and  conveying  it,  for  his  expressions  are 
conveyances ;  and  the  refusal  of  the  symbol  would 
be  the  rejection  of  the  gift.     What  then  ?     "  If  I 


THE   INCIDENTS 


wash  thee  not,  thou  hast  no  part  with  Me."  It  is 
a  word  of  absolute  severance,  which  shews  how 
real  must  be  the  washing,  which  is  a  necessary 
condition  of  association  and  participation.  It  was 
an  akirming  word  to  Peter.  Objections  vanished 
at  the  sound.  He  passed  to  an  enthusiasm  of  sub- 
mission. "Lord,  not  my  feet  only,  but  also  my 
hands  and  my  head."  We  thank  him  for  words 
which  drew  forth  a  fuller  explanation  of  the  act. 
"  He  that  is  bathed  (6  XeXoufievo'i^  needeth  not 
save  to  wash  his  feet,  but  is  clean  every  whit ;  and 
ye  are  clean,  but  not  all."  It  was  a  happy  explana- 
tion for  them,  and  all  the  more  clear  in  meaning 
from  the  exception  made.  In  the  sight  of  their 
Lord  they  were  washed  and  clean.  That  was  their 
normal  state.  Was  there  an  intended  reference, 
to  their  baptism?  We  do  not  know  that  they  had 
ever  been  baptised,  save  with  the  baptism  of  John. 
But  the  symbolism  of  that  was  understood,  as  ap- 
pears from  the  "  question  about  purifying,"  which 
in  the  beginning  of  this  Gospel  is  said  to  have  cre- 
ated agitation  (iii.  25).  It  implied  an  unfitness 
and  disqualification  for  entrance  into  the  coming 
Kingdom,  requiring  even  in  children  of  Abraham 
a  cleansing  by  definite  act  of  divine  grace  and  by 
moral  renovation  attending  it.  Of  that  prelimi- 
nary cleansing  these  disciples  had  been  true  recii^i- 
ents,  and  in  their  adhesion  to  the  Lord  it  had 
reached  its  true  completion.     That  state  of  grace 


THE    WASHING   OF   THE   FEET  G7 


and  change  is  recognised  in  this  parabolic  lan- 
guage. They  were  as  persons  who  had  bathed,  and 
who,  after  a  walk  through  the  dust,  needed  only  to 
wash  the  feet.  But  they  did  need  that.  They  had 
walked  with  Christ,  but  not  without  sin,  and  the 
uncleanness  which  any  sin  must  leave  needed  the 
renewal  of  cleansing.  This  grace  at  the  close  of 
the  companionship  was  ministered  by  their  Lord  in 
the  act  of  loving  affection,  by  which  He  would 
leave  them  (all  but  one)  "clean  every  whit." 

The  teaching  of  the  act  and  of  the  words  have 
become  part  of  the  last  legacy  to  the  Church. 
Their  pregnant  instruction  and  reassuring  comfort 
are  felt  by  every  Christian  man  in  his  habitual 
experience.  As  a  believer,  he  is  clean  and  walks 
in  the  light,  but,  since  he  cannot "  say  that  he  has 
no  sin,"  he  has  ever  need  for  renewal  of  cleansing 
as  well  as  quickening  grace.  Some  connnentators 
appear  to  shun,  or  at  least  to  minimise,  this  teach- 
ing, as  if  imported  into  the  text,  from  their  desire 
to  adhere  simply  to  the  Lord's  subsequent  explana- 
tion of  his  act.  But  those  appended  words  do 
not  supersede  those  which  precede,  and  which  con- 
vey a  substantive  teaching  of  their  own.  The  act 
itself,  first  as  washing,  and  then  as  humble  service, 
has  a  twofold  character  which  needs  the  twofold 
exposition  which  both  sets  of  sayings  give.  In 
that  respect  it  is  only  of  a  piece  with  the  general 
action  of  Jesus.     In  his  works  of  compassion  and 


THE   INCIDENTS 


goodness  we  read  the  clearest  moral  lessons  ;  but 
we  read  also  between  tlie  lines  the  intimations  of 
deeper  truths.  In  the  present ,  case  the  teaching 
that  needs  reflection  is  left  to  reflection ;  and  the 
practical  lesson  is  impressed  by  the  plainest  words. 

"  So  when  he  had  washed  their  feet,  and  had  taken  his 
garments  and  sat  down  again,  he  said  unto  them,  Know  ye 
what  I  have  done  to  you  ?  Ye  call  me  Master  and  Lord : 
and  ye  say  well,  for  so  I  am.  If  I  then,  the  Lord  and  the 
Master,  have  washed  your  feet,  ye  also  ought  to  wash  one 
another's  feet.  For  I  have  given  you  an  example  that  ye 
should  do  as  I  have  done  to  you.  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto 
you,  A  servant  is  not  greater  than  his  lord  ;  neitlier  one  that 
is  sent  greater  than  he  that  sent  him.  If  ye  know  these 
things,  blessed  are  ye  if  ye  do  them  "  (12-17). 

Words  so  plain  need  no  explaining.  Teaching 
so  touching  and  solemn  would  only  lose  impression 
by  an  attempt  to  impress  it. 

We  observe  the  titles  which  are  used.  The 
"  Master  "  (Teacher,  8LSdaKa\o<;^  and  the  "  Lord  " 
(as  a  term  of  honour)  are  the  Rabbi  and  the  Mar 
in  common  Jewish  use  by  disciples  to  their  teachers. 
These  disciples  have  been  learning  to  use  this  re- 
spectful address  in  a  higher  meaning  than  belonged 
to  the  relation  in  general.  But  the  full  sense  of 
that  meaning  will  come  in  time.  For  the  present 
it  is  sufficient  to  appeal  to  the  recognised  relations 
of  disciples  to  their  master,  servants  to  their  lord, 
and  commissioned  messengers  (aTroo-ToXoi)  to  him 


Ill  THE   WASHING   OF   THE   FEET  69 

who  sends  them.  Yet  is  there  a  higher  tone  of 
right  in  "  Ye  call  me  Master  and  Lord,  and  ye  say 
well,  for  so  I  am"  Qelf^l  'yap).  The  relations  as- 
serted will  soon  shine  out  in  glory,  investing  the 
charge  and  its  example  with  sublime  authority. 

The  charge  insists  on  the  sacred  obligation  of 
duty  (Ye  ought,  o^e/Xere),  and  it  bases  the  duty 
on  the  common  level  of  nature  and  its  claims,  of 
life  and  its  necessities,  on  which  all  stand  side  by 
side  with  "  one  another." 

The  example  given  in  this  particular  instance 
(^uTroSetyfxa),  being  thus  proposed  and  enforced, 
becomes  a  definite  instruction  on  that  whole  sub- 
ject which  is  summed  up  by  St.  Peter  in  the  words 
"  leaving  us  an  example  that  we  should  follow  his 
steps."  So  one  light  in  which  the  Gospel  story  is 
to  be  read  shines  out  upon  us  here,  supplying  this 
effectual  motive  and  this  perfect  standard  to  the 
Christian  life.  If  some  parts  of  the  life  of  Christ 
may  be  but  doubtfully  or  partially  transferable  in 
the  way  of  example  to  our  own,  that  is  not  the 
case  here.  This  is  an  incident  which  cannot  be 
taken  by  itself.  The  eloquent  act  and  the  plain 
words  constitute  a  final  illustration  of  the  mind  of 
Christ,  and  interpret  the  entire  example  of  his 
humiliation  in  the  service  of  mankind.  They 
have  impressed  upon  the  Church  the  principles  of 
thought  and  the  spirit  of  action,  which  are  most 
distinctively  Christian,  those  of  which  the  Gentile 


70  THE   INCIDENTS 


never  dreamed,  and  to  which  the  Jew  coiikl  not 
reach.  Here  is  the  original  source  of  all  that 
Apostles  taught  of  lowliness  of  mind  which  con- 
siders others  more  than  self ;  of  love  by  which  we " 
are  to  serve  one  another ;  of  not  being  high-minded, 
but  condescending  to  things  that  are  lowly ;  of 
bearing  one  another's  burdens,  and  so  fulfilling  the 
law  of  Christ ;  of  submitting  ourselves  one  to  an- 
other in  the  fear  of  God ;  of  putting  on  as  the  elect 
of  God  a  heart  of  compassion,  kindness,  humble- 
ness of  mind,  meekness,  long-suffering ;  or  (in  lan- 
guage surely  suggested  by  this  very  scene)  of  our 
all  ^'■girding  ourselves  with  humility"  to  serve 
one  another  (jwavre^  aWi'}Xoi<i  ti]v  raireLvoc^poa-vvTjv 
iyKo/x^doaaa-de,  1  Pet.  V.  5).  Here,  too,  is  the 
source  of  all  actual  fulfilments  of  these  charges,^ 
and  living  exemplifications  of  this  spirit.  Here 
is  the  fountain  head  of  that  stream  of  self-forget- 
ting love,  self-denying  devotion,  self-abasing  ser- 
vice, which  flows  forever,  and  has  carried  its  line 
of  pure  and  heavenly  light  even  through  the  most 
soiled  and  darkened  annals  of  the  Christian  Church. 
It  flows  among  us  at  this  day,  sometimes  as  seen 
in  a  course  of  professed  dedication,  far  more  largely 
diffusing  its  blessings  along  the  natural  channels 
of  ordinary  life. 

Yet  this  spirit  does  not  prevail  without  hin- 
drance :  so  much  there  is  in  natural  character  and 
in  accustomed  habit  contrary  to  this  mind  of  Christ. 


THE   WASHING   OF   THE   FEET 


He  knew  these  tendencies  as  not  only  in  the  world, 
but  in  the  Church,  and  added  to  the  charsfe  and 
the  example  words  of  reasonableness  and  warning. 
"  A  servant  is  not  greater  than  his  lord,  nor  the 
sent  than  the  sender.  If  ye  know  these  things, 
blessed  are  ye  if  ye  do  them."  Neither  pride 
which  disdains  the  humbler  service,  nor  fastidi- 
ousness which  shrinks  from  it,  nor  indolence  which 
evades  it,  have  any  answer  to  give.  The  last 
sentence  may  seem  a  truism  in  statement;  in  prac- 
tice none  is  more  needed.  So  apt  we  are  to  rest 
in  approval  or  admiration  of  an  act  or  habit,  as 
if  it  thus  became  our  own.  We  want  these  simple 
words  forever  in  our  ears.  They  condense  the 
ever-recurring  admonitions  of  the  word  of  God, 
wliich  assign  blessing,  not  to  the  knowing,  but  to 
tlie  doing.  The  "  happy  "  of  the  Authorised  Ver- 
sion is  a  good  word,  but  the  "  blessed  "  of  the  Re- 
vised Version  is  better.  It  has  a  tone  of  divine 
favour  and  exaltation ;  and  divine  favour  and  ex- 
altation are  here.  It  connects  the  saying  with  the 
Beatitudes,  where  the  same  word  opens  the  Gospel 
teaching,  and  sheds  a  rising  splendour  over  the 
characters  which  it  will  create  and  the  destinies 
which  it  will  secure. 


Some  customary  imitation  or  commemorative  repetition 
of  the  washing  of  the  feet  was  not  unnatural,  and  in  some 
quarters  there  was  a  disposition  to  regard  it  as  an  institution, 


72  THE   INCIDENTS 


and  even  use  it  as  an  ordinance,  in  connexion  with  the  sacra- 
ment of  baptism :  but  this  was  not  admitted  by  the  instinct 
of  the  Church,  even  in  times  most  favourable  to  such  adop- 
tions. Bingham  (B.  xii.  ch.  10)  gives  an  account  of  this 
movement  in  the  fourth  century,  and  quotes  Augustin  to 
the  effect  that  many  churches  would  never  admit  of  this 
custom  at  all,  lest  it  should  seem  to  belong  to  the  sacrament 
of  baptism,  when  our  Saviour  only  intended  it  as  a  lesson  of 
humility.  And  other  churches  for  the  same  reason  abrogated 
the  custom  where  it  had  been  received.  He  also  gives  from 
a  book  which  passed  under  the  name  of  St.  Ambrose,  an 
instance  of  this  debate,  as  carried  on  between  the  Church  of 
Milan,  "where  the  bishop  used  to  wash  the  feet  of  the  bap- 
tised, and  the  Roman  Church,  which  had  no  such  custom, 
alleging  that  it  should  only  be  done  in  the  way  of  humility, 
as  the  custom  of  washing  the  feet  of  strangers  ;  while  on  the 
contrary,  the  Church  of  Milan  argued  that  this  was  not 
merely  a  business  of  humility,  but  of  mystery  and  sanctifica- 
tion,  because  Christ  said  to  Peter,  If  I  wash  thee  not,  thou, 
hast  no  part  with  me."  One  luay  argue  with  the  Church  of 
iNIilan,  as  to  the  character  of  the  act  of  Christ,  as  shewn  by 
his  own  words,  but  not  as  to  any  imitation  by  the  Church  as 
'  invested  with  a  like  virtue.  As  a  commemoration  of  the  great 
example  of  humility,  it  was  used  in  various  quarters,  as  by 
ascetic  saints  like  St.  I^ouis,  and  as  adopted  by  the  Moravian 
Brethren,  and  as  connected  with  the  celebration  of  Thursday 
in  Holy  Week,  lingering  long  as  an  old  custom  in  the  English 
Church.  "  In  1530,  Wolsey  washed,  wiped,  and  kissed  the 
feet  of  fifty-nine  poor  men  at  Peterborough.  The  practice 
was  continued  by  English  sovereigns  till  the  reign  of  .James 
II. ;  and  as  late  as  1731,  the  Lord  High  Almoner  washed 
the  feet  of  recipients  of  the  royal  bounty  on  Maundy  Thurs- 
day. The  present  custom  of  the  feet-washing  at  St.  Peter's 
is  well  known"  (Westcott's  Note).       Beugel's  remark  on 


THE   WASHING   OF   THE   FEET  73 


that  custom  is  also  well  known,  very  applicable  during  a  long 
period  of  history,  « that  the  Pope  would  shew  a  more  serious 
humility  by  washing  the  feet  of  one  king,  than  those  of 
twelve  poor  men."  Such  customs  belonged  to  a  habit  of 
literalism  and  externalism,  not  helpful  in  the  long  run  to  a 
true  interpretation  or  application  of  the  words  "  Ye  ought 
to  wash  one  another's  feet.  I  have  given  you  an  example 
that  ye  should  do  as  I  have  done  to  you." 


74  THE   INCIDENTS 


CHAPTER   IV 

THE   DETACHMENT   OF   JUDAS 

This  evening  the  Apostles  are  to  receive  higher 
communications  than  before,  initiating  them  into 
the  deeper  mysteries  of  that  life  that  is  to  follow, 
and  into  new  spiritual  relations  with  their  Lord. 
Special  preparation  for  this  in  one  Avay  was  meet, 
and  in  another  way  needful.  Purifications  for 
nearer  communion  with  God  were,  under  the  old 
discipline,  of  two  kinds.  The}^  consisted  in  wash- 
ings and  lustrations  for  superficial  or  occasional' 
uncleanness,  and  in  the  elimination  of  that  which 
was  in  itself  corrupt.  Such  was  the  removal  of 
objects  connected  with  idolatry  (e.g.  Gen.  xxxv.  2), 
or,  in  a  typical  sense,  that  of  leaven  in  the  Paschal 
time.  The  first  of  these  purifications  the  Apostles 
have  received  by  symbol  and  by  teaching ;  but  the 
second  is  yet  to  come.  They  are  pronounced  to 
be  "  clean,  but  not  all."  There  is  among  them  one 
case  of  essentially  evil  condition,  which  the  wash- 
ing of  Jesus  could  not  cleanse,  and  the  teaching  of 
Jesus  could  not  touch.  It  has  reached  a  stage  of 
corruption   which   appears   no   longer  susceptible 


IV  THE   DETACHMENT   OF  JUDAS  75 

of  change.  It  must  be  taken  away.  One  of  the 
Twelve  must  go.  Till  the  brotherhood  is  relieved 
of  this  foreign  element  and  false  fellowship  the 
spirit  of  the  Lord  is  restrained,  and  the  communi- 
cations of  love  are  stayed. 

We  have  now  to  observe  the  process  of  removal, 
accomplished  without  exposure  or  compulsion,  in  a 
manner  gentle  to  the  end,  though  significantly  and 
severely  sad. 

The  note  of  warning  just  given  is  now  repeated :  — 

"  I  speak  not  of  you  all :  I  know  whom  I  have  chosen  : 
but  that  the  scripture  may  be  fulfilled.  He  that  eateth  my 
bread  lifted  up  his  heel  against  me.  From  henceforth  I 
tell  you  before  it  come  to  pass,  that,  when  it  is  come  to 
pass,  ye  may  believe  that  I  am.  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto 
you,  He  that  receiveth  whomsoever  I  send  receiveth  me  :  and 
he  that  receiveth  me  receiveth  him  that  sent  me"  (18-20). 

The  language  is  abrupt  and  elliptical.  Critics 
remark  on  a  want  of  connexion.  Commentators 
supply  connexions  of  thought,  sometimes  rather 
forced.  One  cannot  doubt  that  through  these  scenes 
more  was  said  than  is  recorded,  and  that  the  mem- 
ory of  the  evangelist  fastens  on  the  salient  points. 
But  we  also  know  that  this  character  of  expression 
is  itself  natural  when  the  mind  is  occupied  with 
two  opposed  ideas.  The  predominant  thought 
proper  to  the  company  of  disciples  is  that  of  the 
relations  of  the  servants  to  their  lord,  and  of 
those  sent    to  him  who  sends   them ;    and  this  is 


76  THE    INCIDENTS 


the  subject  at  first  and  at  last  in  verses  17  and 
20  marked  by  the  emphatic  "  Amen,  Amen,  I 
say  to  you."  But,  alas !  this  thought  is  crossed 
and  disturbed  by  the  consciousness  that  one  of  this 
chosen  body  is  now  a  treacherous  and  injurious 
enemy. 

The  fact  is  expressed  in  words  from  the  forty- 
first  Psalm.  How  naturally  at  all  times  do  the 
words  of  Scripture  rise  to  the  lips  of  Jesus  !  There 
was  a  kind  of  consolation  in  the  familiar  sounds 
which  were  records  of  what  others  had  felt,  and 
forecasts  of  what  He  was  feeling.  "  The  Scrip- 
ture is  fulfilled  "  in  his  person,  not  only  in  the  sense 
of  definite  prediction,  but  also  in  that  of  analogous 
experience.  Thus  Jesus  connects  his  own  historj'- 
with  that  of  Psalmists  and  Prophets.  What  was 
fulfilled  in  them  and  in  others  like  them  was  with- 
deeper  significance  fulfilled  in  Him.  ...  So  it 
was  with  many  other  experiences,  and  so  it  was 
■with  this,  namely,  the  experience  of  ingratitude, 
falsehood,  and  treachery,  in  a  favoured  companion 
taking  a  wicked  advantage  in  the  day  of  trouble 
and  aggravating  other  sorroAvs.  "  Also,"  said  the 
Psalmist,  "  the  man  of  my  peace,  eater  of  my 
bread,  lifted  the  heel  against  me,"  in  despite  or 
violence,  to  spurn  or  to  trample.  Every  one  must 
notice  that  in  the  citation  the  words  "  whom  I 
trusted  "  are  omitted.  It  could  not  be  said  in  this 
case  by  one  who  "  Jieeded  not  that  any  should  tes- 


IV  THE   DETACHMENT   OF   JUDAS  77 

tify  of  man,  for  lie  knew  what  was  in  man."  Tie 
was  not  deceived  in  Jndas;  and  He  preclndes  the 
thought.  "  I  know  w'liom  I  chose,"  —  chose  (that  is) 
into  the  inner  circle  of  companionship  and  educa- 
tion for  apostolic  office ;  as  it  is  written,  "  He 
called  unto  Him  his  disciples,  and  from  them  He 
chose  twelve,  whom  also  He  named  Apostles " 
(Luke  vi.  13),  and  again,  "  Did  not  I  choose  you 
the  Twelve  "  (John  vi.  70),  and  again.  He  gave 
commandments  to  the  Apostles  whom  He  chose 
(Acts  i.  2).  Tlie  deeper  meaning  of  election  to 
life  cannot  be  brought  into  those  sayings,  and 
scarcely  comports  Avith  this.  Doubtless  Judas  Avas 
chosen  under  a  divine  impulse,  and  also  with  rea- 
sons which  would  have  made  tlie  choice  natural  as 
that  of  a  disciple  most  forward  in  his  adhesion. 
It  is  CAadent  that  he  had  seemed  to  justify  the 
appointment  as  being  a  useful  member  of  the  soci- 
ety, keeping  the  bag  and  managing  the  affairs. 
But  under  a  h3^pocrisy  imposed  by  that  holy  fel- 
lowship, Avorldliness  and  falseness  Avere  all  the 
time  growing  on  the  man's  soul ;  and  this  is  the 
upshot.  All  that  has  gone  on  has  been  tending  to 
this  end  (as  it  is  tersely  said)  :  "  that  the  Scripture 
should  be  fulfilled,  'He  that  did  eat  my  bread 
has  lifted  up  his  heel  against  me.'  "  ^ 

1  Bishop  Perowne,  in  commenting  on  Psalm  xli.,  points  it  out 
as  an  illustration  of  the  construction  often  to  be  put  on  iva  i] 

ypacpr)  Tr\7]pii}drj. 


78  THE   INCIDENTS 


Not  till  the  last  moment,  when  it  becomes  neces- 
sary to  do  so,  does  Jesus  reveal  his  knowledge  of 
the  one  exception  in  the  hearts  which  were  open 
to  his  view.  Once  only,  a  year  before,  at  a  critical 
turning-point  and  under  painful  experience  of  de- 
sertions. He  had  answered  an  assurance  of  faith, 
proffered  in  the  name  of  his  disciples,  with  the 
startling  words,  "  Did  not  I  choose  you,  the  Twelve, 
and  of  you  one  is  a  devil?"  It  may  be  that  some 
manifestation  of  the  evil  mind,  at  that  testing  mo- 
ment, open  to  his  eye,  then  evoked  the  expression. 
But  it  was  a  solitary  disclosure  of  knowledge  and 
of  pain,  and  no  difference  of  terms  or  of  treatment 
attracted  the  observation  of  the  rest,  so  that  even 
in  this  last  scene  there  was  no  suggestion  of  his 
being  the  man  intended. 

But  the  time  is  come  when  silence  must  be 
broken.  "Now,"  says  the  Lord  Qair  apri,  from 
this  moment)  "  I  tell  before  it  comes  to  pass,  that, 
when  it  is  come  to  pass,  ye  may  believe."  He 
speaks  in  that  considerate  care  for  the  disciples 
which  is  part  of  his  "love  unto  the  end."  The 
discovery,  which  will  be  a  shock  to  their  feelings, 
may  also  be  a  shock  to  their  faith,  if  it  should 
seem  that  what  w\as  to  them  unknown  and  unfore- 
seen was  also  unknown  and  unforeseen  to  Him. 
I  speak.  He  means,  to  anticipate  such  thoughts, 
and  to  confirm  youi;'  hearts  in  "believing  that  I 
am  "  (oTt  cyo)  ei/xi').  \  There  is  no  predicate.     The 


THE   DETACHMENT   OF   JUDAS 


silence  means  more  than  any  single  word  could 
tell.  To  those  who  heard  it,  the  expression  was  not 
unknown  (viii.  24,  28,  58).  It  is  not  for  us  to  add 
limiting  explanations ;  but  here,  as  bearing  on  the 
faith  of  Apostles,  it  includes  all  that  I  am  towards 
you  whom  I  send,  and  towards  those  to  whom  I 
send  you.  Whoever  falls,  I  remain  the  same,  and 
so  does  my  commission.  The  ruin  of  an  Apostle 
does  not  affect  the  apostleship.  "  Verily,  verily,  I 
say  unto  you.  He  that  receiveth  whomsoever  I  send, 
receiveth  me ;  and  he  that  receiveth  me  receiveth 
him  that  sent  me."  Those  addressed  were  the 
chosen  intermediaries,  and  so  the  future  of  the 
Church,  of  the  Gospel,  and  of  the  salvation  of  men 
Avas  involved  in  those  words. 

Two  more  steps  are  to  be  taken  before  the  pain- 
ful incident  is  closed  by  the  elimination  of  the 
traitor.  A  second  announcement  follows,  declar- 
ing the  nature  of  the  act,  and  then  a  third,  desig- 
nating the  very  man ;  after  Avhich  he  is  gone. 

In  the  scene  of  the  feet  washing,  we  observed 
the  living  touches  of  vivid  memory.  Even  more 
do  we  observe  them  here.  The  details  of  the  inci- 
dent are  before  us  as  spectators  of  it,  or  rather  as 
sharers  in  it.  We  receive  the  impressions  of  the 
moment  from  gestures  and  movements,  and  chang- 
ing looks,  and  little  tokens  of  the  terms  on  which 
the  persons  are  with  each  other.  We  are  sensible 
of  the  painful  emotion  of  the  Speaker,  of  the  sur- 


80  THE   INCIDENTS 


prise  and  bewilderment  of  the  hearers,  of  their 
various  tlioughts  and  suppositions.  How  weak  is 
the  effect  of  many  a  hiboured  description  compared 
with  that  produced  by  these  brief  touches  :  — 

"  AYlien  Jesus  had  thus  said,  he  was  troubled  in  the  spirit, 
and  testified,  and  said,  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  that 
one  of  you  shall  betray  me.  The  disciples  looked  one  on 
another,  doubting  of  whom  he  spake.  There  was  at  the 
table,  reclining  in  Jesus'  bosom,  one  of  his  disciples,  whom 
Jesus  loved.  Simon  Peter,  therefore,  beckoneth  to  him,  and 
saith  unto  him.  Tell  who  it  is  of  whom  he  speaketh.  He, 
leaning  back,  as  he  was,  on  Jesus'  breast,  saith  unto  him, 
Lord,  who  is  it  ?  .Jesus,  therefore,  answereth.  He  it  is  for 
whom  I  shall  dip  the  sop  and  give  it  him.  So  when  he  had 
dipped  the  sop,  he  taketh  and  giveth  it  to  Judas,  the  son  of 
Simon  Iscariot.  And  after  the  sop,  then  entered  Satan  into 
him.  Jesus  therefore  saith  unto  him.  That  thou  doest,  do 
quickly.  Now  no  man  at  the  table  knew  for  what  intent 
he  spake  this  unto  him.  For  some  thought,  because  Judas 
had  the  bag,  that  Jesus  said  unto  him.  Buy  what  things  we 
have  need  of  for  the  feast,  or  that  he  should  give  something 
to  the  poor.  He  then,  having  received  the  sop,  went  out 
straightway:  and  it  was  night"  ('21-30). 

"  He  was  troubled  in  the  spirit "  QTapdy^Orj  tm 
Trveu/jiaTt,  Kal  lixapruprjcre)^  says  the  disciple  who 
was  close  by  his  side.  The  look  and  tone  shewed 
how  strongly  the  deeper  nature  was  stirred ;  and 
the  words  sounded  as  a  solemn  testimony.  The 
Amen,  Amen,  proper  to  great  principles  or  reveal- 
ing utterances,  is  really  wanted  here :  so  incon- 
ceivable does  the  statement  seem.    Can  it  be  meant 


IV  THE   DETACHMENT   OE   JUDAS  81 

thiit  one  of  you,  my  daily  companions,  who  have 
watched  my  works  and  learned  at  my  lips ;  you, 
who  have  adhered  when  others  forsook,  who  are 
now  clinging  to  me  in  face  of  a  hostile  world  — 
that  one  of  you  shall  betray  me?  There  was  no 
doubt  what  this  word  intended;  for  all  knew  that 
the  authorities  were  watching  for  an  opportunity 
to  seize  and  destroy,  and  that  their  action  was  only 
arrested  l)y  the  feeling  that  prevailed  among  the 
people  and  the  fear  of  consequences. 

The  Avord  here  employed  (irapahihovat),  to  pass 
into  other  hands,  is  translated  sometimes  "  betray," 
sometimes  "  deliver "  or  "  deliver  up,"  according 
(it  appears)  as  the  idea  of  treachery  is  or  is  not 
in  the  mind  of  the  translators.  It  is  a  prominent 
word  throughout  these  transactions,  occurring  fif- 
teen times  in  this  Gospel  and  often  also  in  the 
others.  This  emphatic  repetition  offers  two  sug- 
gestions. The  lirst  is  that  the  delivering  up  is  not 
casual,  but  necessary,  or  falls,  at  least,  under  the 
providential  fitness  of  things.  The  Gentiles  have 
no  power  against  Jesus  till  the  eJews  deliver  Him 
up.  The  Jews  have  no  possession  of  Him  till  He 
is  delivered  up  by  a  disciple.  Is  it  not  part  of  a 
great  system  of  government,  under  which  the  power 
of  evil  cannot  act  effectually  till  it  has  found  some 
starting-[)oint  within  the  inner  circle  or  within  the 
soul?  The  other  suggestion  is  that  of  the  self- 
abandonment  of   Him  who  suffers  Himself  to  be 

G 


82  THE   INCIDENTS 


thus  betrayed  and  delivered.  There  is  no  resist- 
ance, defence,  or  flight.  Men  do  unto  Him  "what- 
ever they  list,"  as  He  said  they  would  (Matt.  xvii. 
12).  He  leaves  Himself  in  their  hands  when  the" 
hour  is  come  to  do  so.  They  take  their  responsi- 
bility in  what  they  do ;  He  fulfils  his  in  what  He 
suffers. 

The  announcement,  now  made,  sent  a  shock 
and  a  thrill  through  the  company.  We  can  well 
imagine  it.  The  most  expressive  picture  in  the 
world,  though  blurred  by  time,  still  inspires  the 
beholder  with  a  sympathetic  apprehension  of  that 
exj^erience.  The  single  expression  here,  which 
tells  how  in  doubt  and  amazement  they  looked 
one  on  another,  is  supplemented  in  the  other  Gos- 
pels, where  we  see  them  "  exceeding  sorrowful,"^ 
saying  unto  Him  one  by  one.  Is  it  I  ?  and  another 
saying,  Is  it  I?  and  pursuing  excited  questioning 
among  themselves.  In  the  midst  of  the  agitation, 
and  while  attention  is  thus  distracted,  Peter  signs 
to  John,  who  will  know  if  any  one  does,  and  in  an 
undertone  asks  (for  this  is  the  adopted  reading), 
"  Say  who  it  is  of  whom  he  speaks."  John,  "  hav- 
ing leaned  back  on  to  Jesus'  breast "  (^ava7reau>v  eirl 
TO  aTtjOosi),  looks  up  and  asks.  Lord,  who  is  it? 
and  is  answered,  He  it  is  for  whom  I  shall  dip  the 
sop  and  give  it  to  him.  There  is  point  here  in  the 
definite  article,  as  in  so  many  other  places,  where 
the  Authorised  Version  has  missed  it.    To  dip  a  sop 


IV  THE   DETACHMENT   OF  JUDAS  83 

is  a  casual  act ;  to  dip  the  sop  is  a  customary  act, 
which  has  its  place  in  the  order  of  the  supper. 
Tlie  morsel  (ro  ■\jrcopilov')  prepared  by  the  head  of 
the  company  Avas  delivered  at  the  proper  moment 
to  one  whom  he  might  choose.  "  We  have  direct 
testimony,"  says  Edersheim  (ii.  506),  "  that  about 
the  time  of  Christ,  the  sop  which  was  handed 
round  consisted  of  these  things  wrapped  together : 
flesh  of  the  Paschal  Lamb,  a  piece  of  unleavened 
bread,  and  bitter  herbs.  This,  we  believe,  was  the 
sop  which  Jesus,  having  dipped  it  for  him  in  the 
dish,  handed  first  to  Judas,  as  occupying  the  first 
and  chief  place  at  table."  By  this  act,  or  by  a 
single  word  before  it,  his  own  question,  Rabbi,  is  it 
I?  was  answered.  Now  that  the  supper  proceeds 
and  silence  is  restored,  after  Judas  has  received 
the  sop,  the  charge  is  given  him,  "  What  thou  doest, 
do  quickly  "  ;  and  immediately  he  has  risen  and  is 
gone,  leaving  his  comrades  in  innocent  speculations 
on  his  errand. 

Such  is  the  outward  story.  Our  reflections  turn 
to  the  action  of  the  two  chief  persons  in  the  scene, 
the  Master  and  the  traitor. 

Of  the  first  we  can  speak  only  with  reverent 
reserve.  But  it  is  instructive  to  observe  the  course 
pursued.  The  treason  must  be  detected  and  the 
man  removed ;  but  there  is  neither  denunciation 
nor  expulsion.  What  is  necessary  is  said ;  only 
what  is  necessary  ;  and  that  only  when  it  is  be- 


84  THE   INCIDENTS 


come  necessary;  yet  it  serves  the  purpose.  The 
Master  shews  that  He  is  not  deceived.  Tlie 
traitor  feels  himself  discovered,  but  does  not  find 
himself  exposed ;  he  is  warned,  but  yet  left  free ; 
finally  he  is  detached,  though  not  expelled.  He 
goes  out  himself,  like  those  of  whom  St.  John 
wrote  long  afterwards,  "  They  went  out  from  us, 
but  they  were  not  of  us.  If  they  had  been  of  us, 
they  would  have  continued  with  us ;  but  they 
went  out  that  they  may  be  manifest  that  they  all 
were  not  of  us  "  (1  John  ii.  19).  Thus  Judas 
dropped  away,  as  a  consequence  of  his  own  con- 
dition, and  by  a  kind  of  natural  process,  like  a 
diseased  branch  in  a  healthy  organism  Avhich  a 
touch  is  sufticient  to  sever.  At  the  same  time 
the  disciples  are  preserved  from  feelings  which 
would  have  ill  prepared  their  minds  for  those  pre- 
cious hours.  As  it  is,  they  are  humbled  for  them- 
selves instead  of  being  roused  against  another.  If 
criticising  mere  human  action,  we  should  admire 
the  self-restraint  and  forbearance,  the  pity  and  the 
patience,  the  judgment  and  tlie  tact,  by  which 
these  results  were  secured.  Surely  these  qual- 
ities, as  they  here  appear,  are  as  much  a  part  of 
the  great  example,  as  is  that  to  which  St.  Peter 
directs  attention  amid  the  revilings  and  sufferings 
which  follow.  Had  this  part  of  the  example  been 
felt  aright,  how  mucli  denunciation,  recrimination, 
and  invective,  how  much  harsh  and  hasty  treat- 


IV  THE   DETACHMENT   OF  JUDAS  85 

ment,  how  many  expulsions  and  excommunications, 
would  have  been  prevented?  Yes!  and  if  it  were 
duly  felt  among  ourselves,  how  much  that  is  said 
and  done  in  a  like  spirit  would  be  prevented  now? 

The  last  word  has  its  lesson  also,  o  7roiet<?,  ttoiV/- 
aov  Tax^iov  (What  thou  doest,  do  quickly).  It  is 
a  word  of  dignity  and  command  —  command,  not 
to  do  the  thing,  but  to  do  it  quickly.  In  the 
Greek  a  distinction  between  the  deed,  as  a  whole, 
and  the  execution  of  it,  lurks  in  the  two  tenses, 
in  a  way  that  cannot  be  given  in  the  English. 
The  deed  is  all  the  man's  own :  that  is  contained 
in  "-What  thou  doest":  but  it  is  to  be  done 
"quickly,"  Tdx(-ou  (literally,  more  quickly),  the 
comparative  form  suggesting  possible  delays  which 
the  speaker  will  not  interpose.  He  is  all  the  time 
master  of  the  situation.  And  so  He  is  in  all 
treasons,  rebellions,  sins ;  yet,  as  here,  the  initiative, 
the  choice,  the  will,  all  that  creates  moral  respon- 
sibility, belongs  to  the  agents.  They  incur  and 
they  must  bear  it. 

From  Jesus  our  thoughts  turn  to  Judas.  He 
is  here  in  silence,  but  for  the  single  question, 
which  was  answered  by  an  act,  or  by  a  word  in 
his  ear.  Secret  are  the  histories  of  men's  hearts. 
One  may  be  sitting  among  his  comrades  in  total 
isolation  from  them,  and  in  a  condition  utterly 
at  variance  with  seeming  and  circumstance.  So 
was  it  with  this  man  "  being:  one  of  the  Twelve." 


THE   INCIDENTS 


We  can  but  imperfectly  estimate  a  character  so 
suddenly  revealed  at  last.  But  peculations  from 
the  common  purse  and  the  bargain  struck  for 
money  are  evidences  of  worldliness  and  falseness 
in  their  meanest  form,  and  proofs  that  his  adhesion  ' 
as  a  disciple  had  been  based  upon  entirely  earthly 
expectations.  He  knew  not  the  bond  which  others 
felt :  "  Lord,  to  whom  shall  we  go  ?  Thou  hast  words 
of  eternal  life."  Yet  had  he  ability  to  suit  him- 
self to  his  company,  to  assume  its  spiritual  tone, 
and  shew  like  devotion  to  the  Master.  That  must 
have  been  a  habitual  and  corrupting  hypocrisy,  by 
which,  being  what  he  was,  he  was  taken  for  what 
he  seemed.  Perhaps  there  was  one  better  pre- 
pared than  the  rest  for  the  last  discovery.  St. 
John  is  charged  by  M.  Renan  with  a  bitter  per- 
sonal enmity  to  Judas.  He  was  indeed  likely  to, 
have  some  sense  of  the  man's  real  character.  He 
had  (we  see  it  in  his  writings)  a  habit  of  observing 
purposes  and  motives,  and  also  an  instinct  in  per- 
ceiving them;  and  his  spiritual  turn  and  pure, 
elevated  mind  might  well  be  sensible  of  a  certain 
repugnance  to  so  uncongenial  a  companion.  But 
be  that  as  it  may,  the  rest  had  in  general  no  per- 
ception of  what  manner  of  man  Judas  was,  seeing 
in  him  only  such  minor  faults  as  they  saw  in  one 
another.  It  is  at  least  remarkable  that  through 
this  trying  scene,  no  doubtful  attention  was  spe- 
cially fixed  on  him,  and   that   he  left  the   room 


IV  THE    DETACHIMENT   OF   JUDAS  87 

followed  not  by  dark  suspicions,  but  by  supposi- 
tions of  service  or  mercy.  But  what  was  passing 
in  his  own  mind  during  that  searching  hour,  as 
the  successive  steps  of  warning  and  detection 
came  ever  closer  to  himself?  Were  there  mo- 
ments of  alarm,  of  hesitation,  of  relenting,  as  the 
plain  words  fell  on  the  moral  confusion  of  his 
soul  ?  It  is  probable ;  but,  if  there  were,  they 
were  set  aside  ;  and  then  after  the  last  act  of 
customary  kindness  there  ensued  a  fuller  posses- 
sion by  the  power  to  whose  suggestions  he  had 
yielded  before.  "  After  the  sop  Satan  entered  into 
him."  That  is  no  figure  of  sijcech ;  it  is  simple, 
awful  truth.  It  is  a  revelation  of  the  terrible  fact 
which  lies  behind  the  darkest,  strangest  parts 
of  human  history.  Such  a  revelation  is  proper 
to  this  supreme  moment,  and  to  the  commence- 
ment of  the  story  of  the  greatest  crime  of  the 
world.  Thus  possessed,  the  man  could  no  longer 
continue  in  that  holy  presence.  It  was  a  relief  to 
hear  the  word,  and  to  escape  into  the  dark.  "  He 
went  immediately  out,  —  and  it  was  night  "  — 
night  indeed, — on  the  earth  and  in  his  soul;  and 
there  will  be  another  going  out  into  a  darker 
night  on  the  morrow. 

"  From  all  evil  and  mischief,  from  sin,  from  the  crafts 
and  assaults  of  the  devil,  from  thy  wrath,  and  from  ever- 
lasting damnation, 

"  Good  Lord  deliver  us." 


88  THE    INCIDENTS 


CHAPTER  V 

THE   PRELIMINARY   SAYINGS 

Judas  is  gone ;  and  the  situation  is  changed. 
Within  the  upper  room  the  atinosphere  is  cleared ; 
without,  the  work  of  death  is  in  hand. 

By  his  departure  the  company  of  tlie  disciples  is 
cleansed.  With  the  bad  man  a  bad  principle  and 
a  bad  influence  went  out.  He  concentrated  and 
represented,  in  his  own  person,  the  earthly  dreams 
and  false  ideas  of  the  Kingdom,  which  in  the  others 
mingled  with  higher  thoughts,  and  he  must  have 
been  a  power  to  promote  the  worldly  spirit  among 
them,  and  with  it  those  dispositions  which  the  Lord 
Avas  ever  seeking  to  eradicate.  He  now  becomes 
himself  an  example  of  what  that  spirit  may  pro- 
duce. In  his  person  this  old  leaven  is  purged  out, 
that  the  residue  may  be  clean  for  the  Master's  use. 
In  them,  notwithstanding  their  infirmities  and  mis- 
takes. He  now  sees  only  "  the  unleavened  things  of 
sincerity  and  truth." 

In  consequence,  a  weight  is  lifted  from  the  heart 
of  Jesus.  The  repression  of  feelings  and  restraint 
of  words  which  that  false  presence  caused  are  over 


V  THE   PRELIMINARY   SAYINGS  89 

now.  He  can  speak  without  those  reservations 
which  truth  has  hitherto  demanded.  All  his  affec- 
tion can  flow  forth  without  reserve,  and  all  his 
proposed  communications  can  he  freely  made  to 
his  own,  whom  He  loves  to  the  end. 

But  Judas  is  gone  to  his  work.  While  tliat  holy 
con  verse  proceeds  in  the  room  which  he  has  left, 
he  is  hastening  to  his  malignant  employers,  telling 
them  that  now,  this  night,  he  can  fulfil  his  engage- 
ment, asking  for  a  sufficient  body  of  men  for  the  pur- 
pose ;  seeing  them  assemble  with  lanterns,  torches, 
and  weapons ;  and  giving  them  the  directions  to 
which  they  are  to  attend.  His  departure  is  the 
beginning  of  the  end ;  and  it  is  under  the  con- 
sciousness that  the  die  is  cast,  and  the  passion 
virtually  begun,  that  the  Lord  devotes  the  time 
remaining  to  that  confidential  converse  with  the 
disciples,  which  is  to  become  his  last  will  and 
testament  to  the  Church. 

The  Apostle  whom  Jesus  loved  is  specially  en- 
trusted with  that  will  and  testament ;  and  delivers 
it,  in  this  record,  to  all  generations.  Thus  he  be- 
gins :  — 

"  When,  therefore,  he  was  gone  out,  Jesus  saith,  Now  is 
the  Son  of  man  glorified,  and  God  is  glorified  in  him  ;  and 
God  .shall  glorify  him  in  himself,  and  straightway  shall  he 
glorify  him. 

"  Little  children,  yet  a  little  while  T  am  with  you.  Ye  shall 
seek  me:  and,  as  T  said  unto  the  .Tews,  whither  I  go,  ye  can- 
not come :  so  now  I  saj'  to  you. 


90  THE   INCIDENTS 


"  A  new  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  that  ye  love  one 
another;  even  as  I  liave  loved  you,  that  ye  also  love  one 
another.  By  this  shall  all  men  know  that  ye  are  my  dis- 
ciples, if  ye  have  love  one  to  another  "  (31-35). 

We  cannot  tell  whether  tliese  three  sayings 
were  uttered  in  immediate  succession.  They  may 
have  been  spoken  while  the  supper  was  proceed- 
ing, and  other  incidents  have  occurred  between 
them,  even  the  Institution  of  the  Sacrament  itself. 
But  we  have  to  study  them  as  they  here  appear. 
They  are  divided  from  the  discourse  which  they 
introduce,  by  Peter's  personal  question  and  pro- 
testation ;  and  it  is  well  to  take  them  apart,  as 
they  supply  a  general  preface  to  all  that  will  fol- 
low. They  reveal  the  true  character  of  what  is 
passing,  as  the  glorification  of  the  Son  of  Man. 
They  announce  the  consequent  separation  from  the 
disciples,  who  are  left  behind  in  the  world.  They 
deliver  the  new  commandment,  which  is  the  law  of 
their  future  life. 

I. 

"  When  therefore  he  was  gone  out,"  says  the 
writer  (as  meaning  that  an  obstacle  was  now  re- 
.moved  and  an  occasion  come),  then  the  concen- 
trated thoughts  found  vent.  The  first  saying  is 
mysterious  and  sublime,  being  a  revelation  of  the 
true  character  of  the  history  of  the  Son  of  Man. 


V  THE   PRELIMINAin'    SAYINGS  91 

It  has  been  justly  observed  that  "  this  title  is  the 
key  to  the   interpretation  of   the  passage.      The 
words  are  spoken  of  the  relation  of  the  Son  of  Man 
to  God,  and  not  of  the  relation  of  'the  Son'  to  'the 
Father'"  (Westcott).     What  is  the  character  of 
this  history?      It  is  given  in  a  single  word.     Four 
times  is  the  verb  "glorify"  repeated  —  twice  as  in- 
terpreting the  past,  twice  as  anticipating  the  future  ; 
the  two  periods  being  distinguished  by  the  tenses 
employed  (eSo^ao-^T^-So^aVet)-     Of  the  first  period 
it  is  said :  "  Now  was  the  Son  of  Man  glorified  and 
God  was  glorified  in  Him."     He  reviews  the  past, 
which  is,  however,  still  the  present,  though  "  now  " 
at  its  very  end.     It  was  a  history  of  humiliation, 
but  of  glorification  shining  through  it.     So  it  ap- 
peared in  review :  "  We  beheld  his  glory,  glory  as 
of  the  only  begotten  from  the  father."     The  glory 
was  manifested  in  miracle,  as  He  spake  concerning 
the  crowning  miracle :  "  This  sickness  is  not  unto 
death,  but  for  the  glory  of  God,  that  the  Son  of 
God  may  be  glorified  thereby."     That  was  one 
side  of  the  glorification,  but  this  is  another :     The 
Son  of  God  was  glorified  in  power,  the  Son  of  Man 
in  suffering.     How  was  that?     It  scarcely  needs 
explaining.     If  we  account  man  to  be  glorified  not 
by  robes,  aird  titles,  and  applauses,  and  splendid 
surroundings,  but  by  great  principles  vindicated, 
great   services  rendered,  and  great   benefits   pro- 
cured, and  by  the  qualities  exhibited  in  achieving 


92  THE   INCIDENTS 


these  results,  and  by  the  labours  and  sacrifices 
endured  in  achieving  them ;  if  we  account  the 
martyr  glorified  in  his  death  rather  than  in  his 
canonisation,  and  the  conqueror  in  the  battle  and 
the  victory  rather  than  in  his  triumph  —  if  this  is 
our  way  of  thinking,  we  shall  know  in  what  sense 
the  Son  of  Man  was  glorified,  and  how  trul}^  the 
glorification  was  being  accomplished  when  the 
words  broke  from  his  lips. 

At  the  same  time,  in  man  this  glorification  only 
attains  its  true  character  when  it  is  recognised 
in  relation  to  God,  and  when  the  words  can  be 
added,  "and  God  is  glorified  in  him."  Here  this 
is  spoken  in  the  fullest,  highest  sense.  God,  in 
respect  of  wisdom  and  power,  is  manifested  in 
nature :  "  The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God." 
In  respect  of  truth  and  righteousness,  holiness 
and  love.  He  is  manifested  in  the  moral  being, 
and  now  at  last  really  and  adequately  in  the  Son 
of  Man.  This  is  "  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of 
Jesus  Christ"  (2  Cor.  iv.  6).  God  is  manifested 
in  the  person  and  the  life :  "  He  that  hath  seen 
Me  hath  seen  the  Father."  He  is  manifested  also 
in  the  work :  "  God  was  in  Christ,  reconciling  the 
world  unto  Himself  "  (2  Cor.  v.  19).  Seeing  as  we 
do  now  what  the  power  of  that  personality  has 
proved,  what  that  life  originated,  and  what  that 
death  procured,  we  read  the  true  history  of  Jesus 
on  earth  in  the  words :  "  The  Son  of  Man  was 
glorified,  and  God  was  glorified  in  Him." 


V  THE   PRELIMINARY   SAYINGS  93 

But  this  history  on  earth  is  a  part  of  a  larger 
history  which  has  its  next  scene  in  lieavenly 
phices.  It  must  be  so ;  and  the  necessity  of  this 
consequence  found  expression  in  the  reading  fol- 
lowed in  the  Authorised  Version,  which  has  the 
words,  "if  God  be  glorified  in  Him."  But  this 
brief  argument,  which  indeed  need  not  to  be 
stated,  is  disallowed  by  the  better  reading,  and, 
as  Westcott  points  out,  it  mars  tlie  symmetry  of 
the  saying,  which  he  prints  thus  :  — 

"  Noio  was  glorified  the  Son  of  Man, 
A  nd  God  tvas  tfiorified  in  Him ; 
And  God  shall  glorify  Him  in  Himself 
And  straightioay  shall  He  glorify  Him." 

In  regard  to  the  first  statement,  exposition  was 
free,  because  that  is  an  account  of  what  took  place 
on  earth ;  but  before  the  second  statement  expo- 
sition is  silent,  since  the  glorification  intended 
transcends  human  observation,  and  is  part  of  the 
mystery  of  "taking  the  manhood  into  God."  The 
word  "in  Himself"  refers  not  to  the  Son  of  Man, 
but  to  God,  even  as  it  is  said  in  the  prayer,  "And 
now,  O  Father,  glorify  thou  me  with  thine  own 
self."  It  is  well  expressed  in  Plummer's  note, 
"  As  God  is  glorified  in  the  Messianic  work  of 
the  Son,  so  tlie  Son  shall  be  glorified  in  the  eter- 
nal blessedness  of  the  Father  " ;  though  the  prepo- 
sition may  be  taken  to  imply  the  unity  in  nature 


94  THE   INCIDENTS 


as  well  as  in  blessedness.  Furthermore,  it  is  said 
that  this  great  change  is  close  at  hand,  "and 
straightway  shall  He  glorify  Ilim."  So  it  proved 
after  three  days,  when  very  early  in  the  morning 
was  "  Jesus  raised  up  from  the  dead  by  the  glory 
of  the  Father  " ;  and  then  the  day  came  when  He 
was  received  up  and  "  made  to  sit  at  the  right 
hand  in  the  heavenly  places,  far  above  all  rule 
and  authority,  and  power  and  dominion,  and  every 
name  that  is  named  not  only  in  this  world,  but 
also  in  that  which  is  to  come  "  (Eph.  i.  20,  21). 

Fitly  do  these  words  precede  the  communica- 
tions of  love.  Though  far  above  the  intelligence 
of  the  hearers  at  the  moment,  and  uttered  in  the 
way  of  soliloquy  rather  than  as  addressed  to  them, 
the  words  reveal  for  future  apprehension  the  true 
history  of  the  Son  of  Man;  they  throw  the  shadow 
of  their  majesty  over  the  discourses  which  folloAv, 
and  form  the  whole  groundwork  of  the  concluding 
prayer. 

II 

Clear  as  is  the  Lord's  consciousness  concerning 
Himself,  it  does  not  absorb  his  thoughts,  so  as  to 
divert  them  from  his  present  interest  in  his  own 
who  are  before  Him.  These  short  hours  are  dedi- 
cated to  them.  The  glorification,  on  the  verge  of 
which  He  stands,  involves  the  close  of  the  human 
companionship.     That   must    now  be   understood. 


V  THE   PRELIMINARY   SAYINGS  95 

The  truth  of  the  separation  must  be  wrought  into 
their  minds  by  words  which  cannot  be  mistaken. 
The  majesty  and  mystery  of  the  former  saying 
make  more  impressive  the  tenderness  and  plain- 
ness of  this :  — 

"  Little  children,  yet  a  little  while  I  am  with  you.  Ye 
shall  seek  me :  and  as  I  said  unto  the  Jews,  Whither  I  go, 
ye  cannot  come  ;  so  now  I  say  unto  you  "  (33). 

He  had  said  the  last  woixls  to  the  Jews,  while  He 
taught  in  the  Temple,  and  they  were  hovering 
round  with  malicious  intention  when  "  his  hour 
was  not  yet  come."  To  them  He  had  said,  "•  I  go 
away ;  and  ye  shall  seek  me,  and  shall  die  in  your 
sin.  Whither  I  go  ye  cannot  come"  (viii.  21). 
The  same  fact  is  announced,  but  in  what  different 
connexion,  and  with  what  different  feeling !  In 
the  one  case  it  is  announced  to  enemies,  whose 
seeking  will  be  perplexed  unbelief ;  in  the  other, 
to  children  whose  seeking'  will  be  a  lonmng  of  the 
heart.  "  Ye  shall  not  find  Me "  is  not  repeated 
here ,  for  there  will  be  a  finding,  not  conceivable 
as  yet,  the  promise  of  which  will  be  given  in  the 
consolations  and  revelations  to  follow.  But  these 
themselves  rest  upon  the  fact,  "  Whither  I  go  3'e 
cannot  come." 

The  spirit  of  those  communications  breathes 
already  in  the  tender  word  of  address,  and  in  the 
tone  that  almost  sounds  like  res^ret:  "Little  chil- 


96  THE   INCIDENTS 


(Iren,  yet  a  little  while  I  am  with  you."  A  word 
never  used  before  betrays  the  special  feeling  of- 
the  moment.  Twice  had  pitying  kindness  been 
expressed  by  the  word  reKvov :  "  Child,  thy  sins  be 
forgiven  thee  "  (Mark  ii.  5)  ;  "  Children,  how  hard 
it  is  for  them  that  trust  in  riches  to  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  God"  (Mark  x.  25).  But  here,  for 
once,  the  word  is  used  in  the  diminutive  form,  ex- 
pressive of  affectionate  compassion,  parental  solic- 
itude, and  the  intimacies  of  domestic  life.  Our 
English  has  no  graceful  equivalent,  and  can  only 
resort  to  the  more  cumbrous  form  of  "little  chil- 
dren." The  address,  as  all  must  observe,  dwelt  on 
the  mind  of  St.  John  like  the  rest  of  the  language 
of  these  sacred  hours.  It  occurs  seven  times  in 
his  epistle,  and  is  connected  by  tradition  with  his 
latest  ministry  as  a  voice  of  parental  affection  and 
apostolic  anxiety  for  the  churches  over  which  he 
presided. 

Thus  has  the  impending  departure  and  the  con- 
sequent separation  been  tenderly  as  well  as  plainly 
told,  giving  to  all  that  follows  the  character  of 
parting  words  and  a  loving  farewell. 

Ill 

The  departure  must  create  a  new  situation,  to 
which  new  provisions  belong,  and  that  which  occurs 
first  arises  naturally  from  the  absence  of  the  Head 


V  THE   PRELIMINARY   SAYINGS  97 

and  Centre  of  the  family.  Its  members,  hitherto 
united  by  their  common  nearness  to  his  person,  must 
henceforth  be  united  by  love  to  each  other.  How 
easily  amongst  those  eleven  men  might  jealousies 
engender  alienation,  and  differences  end  in  divis- 
ion! and  where  then  would  be  the  work  for  which 
they  were  gathered  into  one  body?  All  know  how 
these  natural  tendencies  have  been  illustrated,  not 
only  in  the  world  but  in  the  Church.  Therefore 
shall  the  duty  of  mutual  love  be  bound  upon  them 
with  the  authority  of  a  new  commandment,  the 
Lord's  own  love  to  them  supplying  both  its  motive 
and  its  measure.  This  shall  be  the  essential 
character  of  true  disci[)leship,  and  the  sign  which 
shall  attest  it  to  the  world. 

"A  new  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  that  ye  love  one 
another :  even  as  I  have  loved  you,  that  ye  also  love  one 
another.  By  this  shall  all  men  know  that  ye  are  my  dis- 
ciples, if  ye  have  love  one  to  another  "  (34,  35). 

The  commandment  is  addressed  to  the  men  there 
present,  with  an  appeal  to  memories  of  love  which 
had  become  part  of  themselves.  But  it  is  also  ad- 
dressed to  them  as  representative  disciples,  re- 
ceivers and  transmitters  of  teaching  given  for  all, 
and  Christians  recognise  the  new  connnandment 
as  the  supreme  and  universal  law  of  the  Gospel  of 
Christ.  Certainly  it  was  not  wholly  new,  as  never 
heard  before  ;  and  the  word  employed  implies  rather 
freshness  than  novelty.      But  as  certainly  it  was 

H 


THE   INCIDENTS 


not  the  characteristic  of  the  Law.  It  had  no  prom- 
inent place  among  the  old  commandments.  Once, 
at  the  close  of  various  prohibitions  of  harsh  and 
unjust  actions,  it  occurs  as  bearing  on  the  heart 
and  takes  us  almost  by  surprise  by  its  warm  and 
comprehensive  words  :  "  Thou  shalt  not  hate  thy 
brother  in  thine  heart  .  .  .  Thou  shalt  not  take 
vengeance,  nor  bear  any  grudge  against  the  chil- 
dren of  thy  people,  but  thou  shalt  love  thy  neigh- 
bour as  thyself.  I  am  the  Lord  "  (Lev.  xix.  17, 18), 
Thoughtful  minds  discerned  its  importance  and 
ranged  it  with  the  first  and  great  commandment 
—  the  great  Sh'ma,  as  it  was  called  (Luke  x.  27). 
The  newness  of  the  commandment  as  given  by 
the  Lord  is  justly  ascribed  by  commentators  to  the 
new  motive  (as  I  have  loved  you),  and  the  new 
standard  and  character  of  love  which  this  motive 
involves.  It  is  an  admirable  expression  in  Plum- 
mer's  note,  which  compares  the  Christian  principle 
described  (1  Cor.  xiii.)  with  "  the  measured  benev- 
olence of  the  Pentateuch."  But  beyond  this  new- 
ness of  motive  and  measure,  there  is  also  a  newness 
of  predominance.  The  principle  which  lurked  in 
the  old  dispensation  takes  the  leading  place  in  the 
new.  Comprehending  all  the  commandments  of 
prohibition  (for  love  worketh  no  ill  to  his  neigh- 
bour) it  rises  to  another  level  in  generous  largeness 
and  moral  splendour.  It  is  not  in  the  letter,  but  in 
the  spirit,  the  reigning  principle  in  a  new  life. 


V  THE   PRELIMINARY   SAYINGS  99 

For  that  new  life,  all  that  is  passing  now  is  the 
introduction  :  all  that  is  taught  is  the  preparation. 
At  this  very  Passover  the  type  is  fulfilled ;  and  in 
the  accomplishment  of  redemption,  the  old  things 
pass  away  and  all  things  become  new.  Close  on 
the  delivery  of  the  new  commandment  was  in- 
augurated the  new  coveiiant  by  the  institution  of 
its  seal  and  sacrament  and  by  the  words :  "  This  is 
my  blood  of  the  covenant "  (Matt.  xxvi.  28)  ; 
"  This  cup  is  the  new  covenant  in  my  blood,  that 
which  is  poured  out  for  you"  (Luke  xxii.  20). 
So  Moses  had  spoken  when  he  sprinkled  the  peo})le 
with  the  blood  of  sacrifice,  "  Behold  the  blood  of 
the  covenant  which  the  Lord  hath  made  with  you  " 
(Ex.  xxiv.  8),  and  the  tacit  reference  to  those 
words  declared  the  substitution  of  the  new  cove- 
nant for  the  old.  As,  therefore,  "  a  law  of  com- 
mandments contained  in  ordinances  "  was  attached 
to  the  one,  so  the  law  of  love  written  in  the  heart 
is  the  congenial  attendant  on  the  other.  This  law 
will  be  again  impressed  in  the  discourse  which 
follows ;  and  it  involves,  also,  the  need  of  the 
gift  which  will  then  be  promised.  The  mind  of 
Christ  must  be  formed  by  the  spirit  of  Christ,  and 
so  the  new  commandment  becomes  the  law  of  the 
new  life. 


100  THE    INCIDENTS 


CHAPTER   VI 

THE   PREMONITION    TO   PETER 

Of  the  sayings  thus  cast  into  the  hearts  of  the 
disciples,  one  woukl  at  the  time  naturally  absorb 
their  thoughts.  A  revelation  to  faith  and  a  com- 
mandment of  duty  may  await  reflection ;  but  an 
impending  departure  and  an  indefinite  separation 
give  no  room  for  other  thoughts.  As  it  is  said 
afterwards,  "  Because  I  have  spoken  these  things 
to  you,  sorrow  hath  filled  your  hearts."  As  usual, 
there  was  one  to  speak  for  the  others,  and,  as  was 
his  wont,  with  a  sort  of  questioning  resistance, 
and  the  impetuosity  of  ptersonal  feeling. 

.  "  Simon  Peter  saith  unto  him,  Lord,  whitlier  goest  thou  ? 
Jesus  answered,  Whither  I  go,  thou  canst  not  follow  me 
now ;  but  thou  shalt  follow  afterwards.  Peter  saith  unto 
him.  Lord,  why  cannot  I  follow  thee,  even  now?  I  will 
lay  down  my  life  for  thee.  Jesus  answereth.  Wilt  thou  lay 
down  thy  life  for  me  ?  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee.  The 
cock  shall  not  crow,  till  thou  hast  denied  me  thrice " 
(36-38). 

The  passage  is  a  part  of  the  dramatic  picture 
of  St.  Peter  to  which   this   Gospel  contributes  so 


VI  THE   PREMONITION   TO   PETER  101 

much,  and  of  which  such  living  touches  were  given 
but  a  few  lines  before.  The  identity  in  all  the 
Gospels  of  this  highly  individual  personality  is 
one  of  the  links  between  the  four  records,  an  evi- 
dence of  the  common  memory  which  pervades 
them.  The  study  of  that  character  and  the  lessons 
to  be  derived  from  it  lie  outside  the  present  pur- 
pose ;  and  they  are  so  often  and  so  amply  treated 
in  sermons  and  expositions  that  there  is  no  tempta- 
tion to  step  aside  to  consider  them.  Either  now 
or  at  an  earlier  moment,  it  appears  that  more  was 
said  than  is  written  here,  of  Satan  claiming  to  sift 
the  disciples,  of  prayer  for  Peter's  endangered 
faith,  of  a  change  that  would  come  over  him,  and 
of  his  becoming  a  strengthener  to  his  brethren. 
Thus  comfort  was  given  before  the  sad  prediction 
which  vain  self-confidence  drew  forth.  And  yet 
another  word  of  hope  is  not  forgotten  in  the 
present  report.  "Whither  I  go,  thou  canst  not 
follow  me  now,"  —  thou  art  not  called  to  do  it ; 
and  thou  canst  not ;  thy  faith  and  purpose  are  too 
weak,  —  "  hut  tJwu  shalt  follow  afterwards^  In  a 
few  hours  was  fulfilled  the  prediction,  "Thou 
shalt  deny  me  thrice."  More  than  thirty  years 
later,  the  other  words  must  have  been  present  with 
power  in  the  days  of  martyrdom.  And  later  still, 
did  St.  John  record  them  here,  as  also  others  of 
like  import,  in  his  closing  chapter,  remembering 
how  they  had  been  fulfilled  in  that  death  upon  a 


102  THE    INCIDENTS 


cross  in  whicli  his  dearly  loved  friend  had  followed 
his  Master,  and  "glorified  God"  (xxi.  18,  19). 

Such  personal  feeling  may  naturally  have 
prompted  the  repetition  of  this  incident  recorded 
by  the  other  Evangelists,  and  here  with  the  addi- 
tion of  words  which  they  had  omitted.  But  there 
was  also  a  reason  proper  to  St.  John's  purpose  for 
mentioning  the  predictive  notice  of  the  denial  by 
Peter,  as  well  as  that  of  the  betrayal  by  Judas. 
It  lies  in  his  care  to  show  at  every  step  the  Lord's 
foresight  of  all  that  should  come  to  pass,  especially 
all  that  would  more  immediately  affect  his  own 
little  company.  It  was  the  foresight  of  love, 
which,  knowing  all  that  was  in  them,  provided 
against  the  effect  of  future  shocks  to  their  faith. 

But  besides  such  reasons  for  the  interposition  of 
this  brief  dialogue,  there  is  reason  enough  in  its 
effect  at  the  time  and  its  bearing  on  what  was  to 
follow.  What  a  humbling  word  was  this  !  What 
a  .blow  to  self-confidence !  What  a  check  to  the 
eager  impulses  of  profession !  No  wonder  that 
the  disciple,  often  spokesman  for  the  rest,  now 
speaks  no  more.  We  feel  it  a  touch  of  truth  in 
the  narrative  that  the  silence  so  unnatural  to  him 
is  thus  accounted  for.  And  the  word  which  struck 
home  to  him  must  have  told  upon  them  all,  making 
them  more  grave  and  reverent  listeners  to  the 
communications  which  followed.  Thus  does  tliis 
last    incident    complete    the    prefatory    facts,    so 


VI  THE   PREMONITKIN   TO   PETER  103 

making  the  first  part  of  the  present  exposition 
conterminous  with  the  13th  chapter  of  the  GospeL 

The  phice  of  the  warning  to  Peter  in  this  narra- 
tive suggests  some  observations  on  the  harmony 
with  the  record  of  the  same  incident  in  the  other 
(xospels.  Here  it  is  given  in  the  room,  followed 
by  longer  discourse,  and  some  time  before  tlie  call, 
"Arise,  let  us  go  hence."  The  remark  that  has 
been  made  on  the  effect  of  it  confirms  the  truth  of 
that  position.  St.  Luke's  witness  is  on  this  point 
the  same.  But  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Mark  men- 
tion it  after  the  departure,  as  if  on  the  way  to 
Gethsemane.  They  do  not,  however,  assert  that 
it  took  place  then ;  and  it  is  frequent  with  them 
to  mention  facts  in  the  order  of  idea,  rather  than 
of  succession  in  time.  The  supposition  of  some 
commentators  that  there  was  recurrence  to  the 
subject  on  the  road  is  not  at  all  unreasonaljle.  It 
was  certainly  a  subject  to  which  a  man  would  be 
likely  enough  to  recur  as  soon  as  he  recovered 
heart  to  do  so ;  and  some  further  words  may  have 
passed  then  which  connected  the  memory  of  the 
warning  with  the  later  moment. 

The  general  question  of  the  harmony  of  the 
record,  on  which  we  comment  with  the  story  of 
the  same  hours  in  the  synoptic  gospels,  is  not 
within  the  present  purpose.  We  may,  however, 
be  sure  that  many  words  were  uttered  that  even- 
ingf    besides   those   which  were    in    line    with    St. 


104  THE   INCIDENTS 


John's  intention  of  didactic  report;  and  in  many 
of  the  words  recorded  elsewhere,  we  recognise 
points  of  contact  with  his  narrative,  and  in  all  of 
them  a  perfect  harmony  with  the  spirit  of  it. 

On  the  chief  feature  in  the  three  records,  the 
Institution  of  the  Eucharist,  St.  John  is  silent; 
and  the  reader  can  scarcely  pass  on  without  some 
notice  of  that  silence,  some  question  as  to  the  place 
in  his  narrative  to  which  the  act  should  be  as- 
signed, some  consideration  of  the  relation  between 
the  Institution,  which  has  no  place  in  these  pages, 
and  the  teaching  which  it  is  their  part  to  give. 

The  silence  of  the  Gospel  on  this  point  has 
some  evidential  and  some  evangelical  value.  It  is 
inconceivable  that  any  later  writer,  aiming  to  get 
his  version  of  things  accepted  as  the  work  of  the 
beloved  Apostle,  should  have  omitted  from  his 
account  of  the  last  evening  the  act  which  origi- 
nated the  central  ordinance  of  the  Church,  and 
which  consecrated  that  evening  in  the  thouglits 
of  all  his  readers.  St.  John  being  recognised  as 
the  author,  this  total  silence  on  a  subject,  on 
which  it  is  impossible  to  suppose  want  of  informa- 
tion, or  of  recollection,  or  of  appreciation,  must 
affect  our  judgment  on  other  instances  of  omission 
in  regard  to  which  such  causes  might  possibly  be 
imagined,  and  consequently  our  interpretation  of 
the  entire  Gospel,  in  respect  of  its  selection  of 
topics  and  its  treatment  of  them  with  a  purpose. 


VI  THE   PREM0NITI(3N   TO   PETER  105 

On  the  question  of  the  place  in  tins  narrative 
to  which  the  Institution  should  be  assigned,  little 
can  be  said  because  assistance  is  so  small.  That 
place  certainly  lies  within  the  range  of  the  thir- 
teenth chapter,  before  continuous  discourse  begins. 
The  Institution  occurred  in  the  supper  while  they 
were  eating  (eadiovTcov  avTMv,  Mark  xiv.  22),  and 
must  have  been  at  the  close  of  it,  both  as  forming 
a  succession  to  the  paschal  meal,  and  from  its  own 
solemn  character;  moreover,  it  is  mentioned  that 
it  was  "  a  cup  after  supper,"  as  distinguished  from 
the  previous  cup,  in  regard  to  which  the  conse- 
crating words  were  spoken.  It  was  therefore 
probably  after  the  giving  of  the  sop  and  the  de- 
parture, and  would  then  fall  somewhere  near  to 
the  last  verses  of  the  chapter ;  I  should  say  at  the 
very  end  of  it,  were  it  not  that  the  warning  to 
Peter  is  placed  in  all  three  synoptic  gospels  after 
the  Institution.  This  consideration  may  incline 
us  to  place  it  as  probably  occurring  after  the  first 
of  the  preliminary  sayings  (v.  32),  or  after  the  last 
of  them  (v.  35).  The  remembrance  of  the  an- 
nouncement of  impending  separation  might  well 
have  dwelt  on  the  mind  of  St.  Peter,  as  the  sub- 
ject to  which  he  would  recur  as  soon  as  there  was 
occasion  to  speak.  Anyhow,  there  must  have  been 
a  close  proximity  between  these  two  features  of 
the  last  evening,  the  Institution  recorded  in  the 
other   Gospels,   and   the    Discourses    reported   by 


106  THE   INCIDENTS 


St.  John.  But  the  rehition  between  them  consists 
not  in  nearness  of  time,  but  in  community  of  ideas 
and  feelings.  The  condensed  significance  of  the 
Institution  finds  in  many  respects  an  expanded 
expression  in  the  Discourses. 

This  correspondence  may  appear  less  obvious 
because  the  primary  significance  of  the  Sacrament 
is  not  reproduced  in  the  teaching.  Whoever  asks 
the  question,  "Why  was  the  Sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  Supper  ordained?"  must  receive  the  direct 
reply,  "  For  the  continual  remembrance  of  the  sac- 
rifice of  the  death  of  Christ."  But  in  the  Dis- 
courses there  is  no  teaching  of  sacrifice  and  no 
insistence  upon  death.  The  consciousness  of  death 
is  present,  and  the  character  and  effects  of  it  are 
intimated,  though  not  explained.  It  is  a  glorifica- 
tion of  the  Son  of  Man,  and  a  glorification  of  God 
in  Him  (xiii.  31).  It  is  an  act  of  beneficent  love, 
a  "laying  down  of  life  for  his  friends"  (xv.  13). 
But  how  it  glorifies  God,  and  how  it  benefits  men, 
remains  in  the  Lord's  consciousness  and  is  latent 
in  these  communications.  In  the  Institution  the 
truth  is  secured  for  ever  in  the  words,  "  My  body 
which  is  given,  my  blood  which  is  shed  for  you 
and  for  many  for  the  remission  of  sins."  But  it 
does  not  reappear  in  the  Discourses  preserved  by 
this  Evangelist.  Yet  is  he  the  same  writer  who 
loves  to  dwell  on  that  death  as  the  propitiation  for 
the  sins  of  the  whole  Avorld,  and  on  that  blood  as 


VI  THE   PREMONITION   TO   PETER  107 

redeeming  us  to  God  and  cleansing  us  from  all  sin. 
But  the  fidelity  of  the  reporter  is  not  affected  by 
subsequent  knowledge.  Those  who  were  then 
addressed  must  witness  the  redeeming  act  as  a 
fact  before  they  can  understand  it  as  a  power. 
That  is  part  of  the  teaching,  not  given,  but  prom- 
ised: "  I  have  many  things  to  say  unto  you,  but 
ye  cannot  bear  them  now.  Howbeit  when  he  the 
Spirit  of  truth  is  come,  he  shall  guide  you  into  all 
the  truth."  Meantime  the  anguish  of  the  morrow 
is  not  suffered  to  confuse  and  darken  the  sweet 
confidences  of  the  evening.  Here  death  is  thought 
of,  not  as  constituting  sacrifice,  but  only  as  entail- 
ing separation.  The  fellowship  that  has  been  has 
reached  its  end,  and  the  words  are  addressed  to 
the  natural  feelings  of  the  moment,  yet  revealing 
the  true  relations  which  will  endure  when  the 
transitory  relations  are  over. 

Hence  it  is  that,  in  one  chief  respect,  the  Dis- 
courses do  not  correspond  to  the  Institution, 
inasmuch  as  they  say  nothing  of  sacrifice,  obla- 
tion, and  satisfaction  for  sin,  scarcely  even  of 
deatli.  They  pass  beyond  it  into  the  succeeding 
relations  between  Christ  and  his  people.  Of  these 
relations  the  Sacrament  was  to  be  a  means  and 
a  pledge,  and  it  is  in  respect  of  them  that  we 
observe  the  living  connection  between  the  Insti- 
tution and  the  Discourses. 

Is  the  Sacrament  intensely  personal  in  its  refer- 


108  THE   INCIDENTS 


ence  as  concentrating  the  mind  on  Jesns  Christ 
Himself  ("  my  body,  ray  blood,  my  memorial ")  ? 
So  are  the  Discourses  occupied  Avith  the  same 
thoughts  of  immediate  relations  with  Him.  Is 
the  Sacrament  felt  as  a  perpetual  token  of  love 
appealing  for  reciprocal  affections  in  the  words 
"  Given  for  you  ;  shed  for  you ;  do  this  in  remem- 
brance of  me  "  ?  So  are  the  Discourses  a  contin- 
uous utterance  of  the  same  feelings,  and  a  claim  for 
the  like  returns.  Does  the  Sacrament  express  an 
intimate  union  with  Christ  by  participation  in 
his  body  and  blood,  —  a  union  not  passing  in  the 
momentary  act,  but  abiding  in  the  condition 
which  it  seals,  one  in  which  we  dwell  in  Him, 
and  He  in  us,  we  are  one  with  Him,  and  He  with 
us  ?  These  last  expressions  are  themselves  derived 
from  the  Discourses  which  teach  an  incorporation 
into  Christ,  an  inherence  in  Him,  a  derivation  of 
life  from  Him  as  of  Ijranclies  aljiding  in  the  vine, 
yet  an  abiding  which  needs  a  concurrence  of  the 
will,  and  calls  for  tlie  charge  which  would  secure 
it,  "  Abide  in  me,  and  I  in  jow  "  ?  Is  the  Sacra- 
ment the  testimony  and  seal  of  a  new  covenant 
("  this  cup  is  the  new  covenant  in  my  blood  "), 
and,  therefore,  the  perpetual  celebration  of  a  new 
dispensation?  So  do  the  Discourses  present  the 
characteristics  of  that  new  covenant  in  the  "new 
commandment,"  the  new  ground  laid  for  prayer 
and  communion  with  God,  and  above  all   in   the 


VI  THE   PREMONITION   TO   PETEIl  109 

new  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  the  Comforter.  Fi- 
nally, is  the  Sacrament  an  ordinance  of  fellowship 
and  an  act  of  coninumion  by  the  participants  one 
with  another,  and  so  with  the  whole  Church?  So 
are  the  Discourses  addressed  to  men  not  only  as 
individuals,  but  as  members  of  a  company  bound 
together  by  the  common  relation  to  their  Lord, 
and  by  the  commandment  to  love  one  another  as 
He  had  loved  them. 

These  are  living  correspondences  between  the 
Institution  and  the  Discourses.  In  all  these  re- 
spects the  Sacrament  incorporates  the  teaching, 
and  the  teaching  explains  the  Sacrament ;  and  in 
this,  as  in  so  many  other  ways,  St.  John  completes 
the  synoptic  record. 


Part  II 

THE   DISCOURSES 

FIRST   DISCOURSE 

XIV.  1-31 

CHAPTER 

I.  Method  and  Character 

II.     The  Foundation  Word «'.  1 

III.  The  Final  Prospect        2,3 

IV.  Self-Revelation 4-11 

V.     Promise  of  Power 12-14 

VI.  Promise  of  the  Paraclete     .     .     .  15-24 

VII.  Promise  of  Teaching 25,26 

VIII.  Benediction  of  Peace 27 

IX.  The  Accepted  End 28-31 

X.  A  Dividing  Line 31 


111 


Part   II 

THE  DISCOURSES 

CHAPTER  I 

METHOD   AND   CHARACTER 

Before  entering  on  the  Discourses,  it  may  be 
of  use  if  we  make  some  prefatory  observations  on 
the  division  of  them,  on  their  method  or  manner 
of  delivery,  and  on  tlieir  aim  in  rehxtion  to  the 
hearers. 

1.  It  is  common  to  treat  the  three  sayings  (xiii. 
31-35)  as  tlie  commencement  of  the  Discourses. 
Certainly  they  indicate  that  after  the  departure  of 
Judas  there  is  a  new  situation,  one  that  will  admit 
of  more  free  and  confidential  communication,  and 
they  go  far  to  define  the  situation  both  for  Jesus 
and  for  his  disciples.  They  shew  three  leading 
thoughts  occupying  the  mind  of  the  Speaker, 
which  will  make  themselves  felt  throughout  the 
Discourses,  and  be  more  distinctly  resumed  in  the 
final  Prayer.  Yet  are  they  rather  preludes  than 
commencements,  utterances  which  give  vent  to  the 

I  113 


114  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

feelings,  sudden  jets  from  the  fountain  before  the 
stream  begins  to  flow ;  and  that  outflow  is  stayed 
for  a  moment  by  the  interruption  of  Peter.  His 
question,  unlike  those  of  the  others  Avhich  assist 
the  course  of  teaching,  diverges  from  it  by  taking 
a  turn  personal  to  himself,  and  this  draws  a  line  of 
division,  creating  a  new  commencement  for  the 
teaching  which  continues  through  the  three  fol- 
lowing chapters. 

We  speak  of  this  teaching  as  given  in  discourses 
rather  than  in  a  discourse,  though  the  report  has  a 
continuous  aspect  as  if  no  division  had  occurred. 
The  division,  indeed,  is  narrow,  consisting  but  of 
three  words,  "  Arise,  let-us-go  hence  "  (xiv.  31) ; 
but  that  is  sufficient.  Moreover,  the  discourse 
given  in  chapter  xiv.  has  a  kind  of  formal  comple- 
tion by  a  benediction  of  peace,  and  a  repetition  of 
the  consoling  words  with  which  it  began,  "  Let 
not  your  heart  be  troubled."  Again,  there  is  a 
difference  of  tone  in  the  two  stages  of  teaching, 
both  indeed  being  revelation  on  the  relations  of 
Christ  with  his  own,  but  the  first  marked  by  a 
predominant  purpose  of  consolation,  the  second 
by  one  of  instruction.  Accordingly,  the  first  dis- 
course takes  more  account  of  the  feeling's  of  the 
disciples  and  of  the  questions  then  in  their  minds, 
while  the  second  occupies  an  anticipatory  stand- 
point after  the  promised  reunion,  in  the  life  and 
history  of  the  dispensation  Avhich  would  follow. 


I  METHOD   AND   CHARACTER  115 

It  suits  with  these  differences,  that  the  discourse 
in  chapter  xiv.  is  a  prolongation  of  the  converse  at 
the  table  customary  at  the  paschal  meal,  and  nat- 
urally begins  with  a  certain  amount  of  dialogue ; 
while  that  in  the  two  following  chapters  supposes 
the  hearers  in  some  other  position,  and  in  an  atti- 
tude of  silent  attention,  save  for  some  whispered 
words  among  themselves  at  a  pause  in  the  dis- 
course or  at  its  close,  and  one  common  voice  of 
confession  responsive  to  the  last  revealing  word. 
This  return  to  a  partial  form  of  dialogue  forms  a 
sequel  to  the  whole,  and  has  the  effect  of  riveting 
the  words  of  consummation  more  immediately  on 
the  minds  of  the  hearers.  M.  Godet  concludes 
his  arrangement  of  the  chapters  in  respect  of  the 
order  of  sequence  corresponding  to  the  actual  situ- 
ation by  an  illustration  which  occurs  very  natu- 
rally, and  which  some  of  the  Lord's  own  words 
suggest. 

"  So  a  dying  father,  after  gathering  his  children  round 
him,  begins  by  speaking  to  them  of  his  end,  and  of  the  time 
whicli  will  immediately  follow.  Then  the  perspective  of 
their  future  career  opens  out  before  his  thoughts,  and  he 
tells  them  what  the  w^orld  will  be  to  them,  and  what  they 
will  have  to  do  in  it;  after  which  his  mind  falls  back  upon 
the  actual  situation,  and  draws  from  its  depth  a  supreme 
word  and  a  last  farewell "  (vol.  ii.  p.  453). 

2.    Within  these  divisions  are  the  smaller  sec- 
tions, created  by  succession  of  topics,  which  will 


116  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

be  more  usefully  treated  by  taking  them  singly  as 
they  occur,  without  any  preparatory  attempt  to 
analyse  the  method  pursued.  The  attempt  indeed 
would  be  in  the  face  of  difficulties ;  for  the  char- 
acter of  discourse  is  not  obviously  methodical. 

Method,  it  may  be  said,  there  is  none.  That 
is  the  confessed  embarrassment  of  commentators 
and  analysers.  "  This  current  of  discourse,"  says 
Spier,  "  poured  forth  by  the  departing  Saviour  for 
future  remembrance  and  glorification  by  the  spirit, 
remains  still  inexhaustible  for  our  poor  under- 
standings, and  far  transcends  the  common  laws  of 
our  so-called  logical  order  of  thought"  (vi.  175). 
It  presents,  says  Vinet,  "  a  divine  confusion."  Dr. 
Sanday  gives  a  more  precise  account  of  this  ex- 
pression in  his  '' Authorship  of  the  Fourth  Gospel." 

"  We  cannot  but  recognise  a  change  from  the  compact 
lucid  addresses  and  exposition  of  the  synoptists.  This 
appears  not  so  much  in  single  verses  as  when  we  look  at  the 
discourse  as  a  whole.  In  all  the  synoptic  gospels,  imper- 
fectly as  they  are  put  together,  there  is  not  a  single  dis- 
course which  could  be  called  involved  in  its  structure ;  and 
yet  I  do  not  see  how  it  is  possible  to  refuse  this  epithet  to 
this  discourse  as  given  by  St.  John.  The  different  subjects 
are  not  kept  apart,  but  are  continually  crossing  and  entan- 
gling one  another.  The  later  subjects  are  anticipated  in  the 
course  of  the  earlier ;  the  earlier  return  in  the  later.  For 
instance,  the  description  of  the  functions  of  the  Paraclete 
is  broken  up  into  five  fragments.  The  relation  of  the 
Church  and  the  world  is  intersected  just  in  the  same  way, 
besides  scattered  references  in  single  verses"  (pp.  231,  232). 


I  METHOD   AND   CHARACTER  117 

This  characteristic  is  acutely  noted  and  worthy 
to  be  pointed  out ;  and  when  we  are  thinking  of 
the  synoptics  and  St.  John,  may  lead  to  certain 
inferences  from  their  different  styles  as  reporters. 
But  when  we  feel  ourselves  listening  to  the  words 
of  the  Lord  Jesus,  such  observations  are  sugges- 
tive in  another  way.  This  "  divine  confusion " 
makes  us  feel  that  we  are  not  hearing  a  discourse 
on  "  the  functions  of  the  Paraclete,"  or  on  "  the 
relations  to  the  world,"  or  on  any  definite  subject ; 
but  listening  to  a  living  voice  speaking,  as  it  is 
natural  to  speak,  under  the  impulse  of  intense 
sympathy  at  an  agitating  crisis,  and  to  hearts  that 
are  filled  with  sorrow.  Either  St.  John  is  an  in- 
imitable artist  in  his  power  of  realising  the  feeling 
of  the  situation,  or  he  is  the  true  reporter  of  act- 
ual words  which  fastened  on  his  memory  because 
they  lived  in  his  heart.  My  contention  is  that 
under  the  circumstances  the  defect  of  method  is 
the  perfectness  of  truth ;  that  these  adaptations 
of  thought  to  feeling,  these  transitions  from  one 
topic  to  another,  these  recurrences  to  the  same 
truths  in  different  applications  of  them  to  the 
needs  of  the  heart,  are  simply  natural  to  tlie  sit- 
uation, and  proper  to  the  character  of  intercourse 
which  it  would  jjroduce.  An  orderly  exposition 
of  the  truths  delivered,  a  clear  arrangement  of  the 
communications  made  (however  convenient  to  the 
commentator   or   lecturer),    could    not   have    had 


118  THE    DISCOURSES  chap. 

the  same  effect  on  the  hearers  at  the  time,  and 
would  have  impaired  the  living  impression  which 
these  communications  make  upon  us  now.  We 
should  have  been  placed  in  a  different  mental 
attitude,  in  which  something  might  jDcrhaps  have 
been  gained  for  the  mind,  but  something  would 
certainly  have  been  lost  for  the  heart. 

Such  a  manner  of  communication  as  this  neces- 
sarily obscures  the  method  of  it ;  but  the  method 
is  there,  and  under  the  varjdng  movements  of 
feeling  we  shall  trace  a  continuous  connexion  of 
thought.  The  sense  of  this  has  grown  upon  the 
mind  of  the  writer  in  the  consecutive  study  of 
these  discourses ;  and  he  entertains  the  hope  that 
in  the  mind  of  the  reader  a  like  effect  may  follow. 

3.  For  a  true  apprehension  of  this  teaching,  one 
principle  must  be  ever  kept  in  view;  namely,  its. 
adaptation  to  the  mental  condition  of  the  hearers 
at  that  crisis  of  their  spiritual  history.  For  them 
•one  great  period  is  ending,  and  a  different  dispen- 
sation will  ensue.  Under  the  past  manifestation 
of  Christ  they  have  reached  a  level  of  faith,  from 
which  they  must  now  rise  to  a  greater  elevation ; 
and  the  results  of  the  past  are  either  assumed,  or 
claimed,  as  qualifying  for  the  discoveries  of  the 
future.  On  the  one  side,  we  have  such  words  as 
these,  "  Whither  I  go  ye  know,  and  the  way  "ye 
know."  — "  Have  I  been  so  long  time  with  you, 
and   yet  hast  thou  not  known  me  ?  "  —  "  Believe 


I  METHOD   AND   CHARACTER  119 

me,  that  I  am  in  the  Father,  and  the  Father  in 
me ;  or  else  believe  me  for  the  very  work's  sake." 
—  "  The  world  knoweth  not  the  spirit  of  truth ; 
but  ye  know  him."  —  "I  am  the  vine  ;  ye  are  the 
branches."  —  "  Now  ye  are  clean  through  the  word 
which  I  have  spoken  to  you."  — "  Ye  have  loved 
me  and  believed  that  I  came  forth  from  God." 
Throughout,  their  faith,  love,  and  knowledge  are 
counted  as  real ;  and  their  union  with  their  Lord 
and  severance  from  the  world  are  recogfuised  as 
facts. 

Yet  the  imperfection  of  their  attainments  is  also 
plain,  evinced  by  their  own  poor  questions  and 
noted  by  sad  reproofs.  But,  with  these  deduc- 
tions, it  is  a  real  level  of  faith,  no  doubt  attained 
more  fully  by  some  than  by  others. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  is  the  aim  of  the  Teacher 
to  lift  them  above  it,  and  prepare  them  for  far 
liigher  gifts  and  experiences,  proper  to  the  day 
which  is  about  to  dawn.  "  In  that  day  ye  shall 
know,"  "  In  that  day  ye  sliall  ask,"  in  another 
way  and  with  other  effects  than  now.  Then 
the  departing  will  be  found  to  be  only  a  nearer 
coming,  and  the  separation  a  closer  union,  and 
the  seeing  no  more  a  true  and  constant  beholding. 
Then  another  Paraclete  will  have  come,  with 
greater  power  and  clearer  discoveries  and  teach- 
ings of  all  the  truth,  such  as,  at  the  time  then 
present,  they  were  not  able   to  bear.     Thus  the 


120  THE    DISCOURSES  chap. 

passage  is  prepared  from  faith  begun  in  the  flesh 
to  faith  made  perfect  in  the  Spirit,  from  the 
external  to  the  internal  manifestation  of  Christ, 
and  from  confused  materials  of  thought  and  dim 
apprehensions  of  truth,  to  the  full  apostolic 
illumination. 

But  the  audience  is  larger  than  appears.  In 
the  foreground  are  the  Eleven,  behind  them  the 
universal  Church.  The  words  are  addressed  im- 
mediately to  the  men  then  present,  and  meet  the 
feelings  of  the  moment  as  simply  and  naturally  as 
if  there  were  no  thought  beyond.  Yet  do  they 
lay  broad  foundations  of  faith  for  all,  and  provide 
for  manifold  experiences  in  all  generations.  And 
this  is  not  in  the  way  of  accidental  consequence 
or  ingenious  application.  It  results  necessarily 
from  the  personality  of  the  Speaker  and  the  char- 
acter of  the  hearers. 

The  Speaker  is  the  Son  of  Man,  acting  in 
■  contingent  circumstances,  and  conversing  with 
individual  persons,  but  embracing  in  the  vastness 
of  divine  intention  the  whole  race  of  mankind. 
Hence  it  is  that  a  wonderful  combination  of  the 
personal  and  immediate  with  the  universal  and 
perpetual  distinguishes  all  the  Avords  of  Jesus, 
and  pre-eminently  those  which  are  here.  It  is  a 
feature  to  be  reckoned  among  the  tokens  of  the 
true  humanity  and  true  divinity  of  Him  who  thus 
speaks :    "  Vox  hominem  sonat."      It  is  a  voice 


I  METHOD  AND   CHARACTER  121 

intensely  human  in  its  tones  of  sympathy  and 
affection ;  yet  in  revelation  and  authority  no  less 
distinctly  divine. 

The  hearers  are  men  like  ourselves,  but  they  are 
representative  men ;  dear  to  their  Lord  in  their 
own  persons,  as  his  tender  language  shows ;  pre- 
cious also  in  his  sight,  as  representing  all  "  who 
shall  believe  on  Him  through  their  word."  Those 
whom  Jesus  teaches  have  thereby  an  intermediary 
office.  They  are  receivers,  but  also  conductors,  of 
the  electric  currents  of  truth.  Testimonies  and 
instructions,  warnings  and  reproofs,  consolations 
and  promises,  take  hold  of  those  who  are  addressed, 
but  they  pass  on  with  unspent  force,  for  they  are 
spoken,  not  merely  to  Jews  and  Galileans,  but  to 
the  world ;  not  merely  to  the  Twelve,  but  to  the 
Church.  If  this  characteristic  belongs  to  other 
communications,  how  much  more  to  these,  which 
are  the  last,  which  close  the  teaching  in  the  flesh, 
which  directly  contemplate  the  day  that  is  to  fol- 
low —  that  da}^  which  began  when  Jesus  was  glori- 
fied, and  which  endures  till  He  comes  again.  We 
know  how,  at  its  commencement,  the  words  of 
promise  were  fulfilled  to  the  commissioned  teachers 
of  the  Church,  for  we  have  the  development  of 
Christian  doctrine  in  their  Epistles.  We  know 
that  the  main  lines  of  faith  and  worship  in  the 
Church  have  their  starting-point  in  these  pregnant 
sa3ings,  from   the  opening  word,  "•  Ye   believe  in 


122  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

God,  believe  also  in  Me,"  to  the  last  appointment 
of  the  name  in  which  we  are  to  pray.  We  know 
how  naturally,  in  all  ages,  believing  hearts  have 
turned  to  these  words  in  experiences  wliich  needed 
assurances  most  felt  to  be  divine,  in  the  saddest, 
the  loftiest,  the  last  hours  of  life.  We  know  how 
instinctively  the  reader  opens  at  these  pages  when 
there  is  special  need  of  consolation  and  support,  of 
detachment  from  the  world,  of  the  sense  of  the 
presence  and  love  of  Christ,  and  of  the  clearer 
sight  of  the  Father's  house  beyond.  And  why  is 
this?  Certainly  on  account  of  the  words  them- 
selves ;  but  also  from  the  feelings  awakened  by 
the  voice  which  utters  them.  It  is  the  voice  of 
Jesus  prolonged  through  all  ages,  as  fresh  to-day 
in  the  congregation  or  the  sick-chamber  as  it  was 
then  in  the  upper  room  in  Jerusalem.  These  chap-' 
ters  are  like  the  late-invented  instrument  which 
can  silently  preserve  and  vocally  give  forth  the 
veiy  tones  and  accents  of  one  who  speaks  on  earth 
no  more. 


THE   FOUNDATION   WORD  123 


CHAPTER  II 

THE   FOUNDATION   WORD 

XIV.     1 

We  enter  the  14tli  chapter  and  listen  to  the 
first  discourse.  It  is  a  voice  of  consohxtion.  It  is 
a  voice  of  revelation.  The  Lord  reveals  in  order 
to  console.  There  is  no  ground  of  consolation  in 
the  present.  That  can  onl}^  be  found  in  revelation 
of  the  future.  But  He  consoles  in  order  to  reveal ; 
for  the  light  which  these  parting  words  throw  upon 
things  to  come,  not  only  meets  the  needs  of  the 
occasion,  but  is  meant  to  illuminate  all  ages  of  the 
Church. 

There  is  no  change  in  the  scene.  All  are  still 
reclining  at  the  table,  prolonging  the  companion- 
ship of  the  supper.  The  most  forward  speaker 
among  the  disciples  is  now  silent,  humbled  and 
stricken  to  the  heart.  Others,  while  the  Lord  pro- 
ceeds, can  interpose  as  they  will  the  questions 
which  arise  in  their  minds.  These  interpositions 
do  not  turn  aside  the  drift  of  the  discourse.  They 
assist  it,  by  expressing  the  feelings  which  the  dis- 
course intends  to  meet.     All  eyes  are  fixed  on  the 


124  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

Speaker,  watching  for  words  which  may  relieve  tlie 
sad  perplexity.  It  is  all  so  mysterious.  Such 
strange,  sad  things  have  been  spoken.  Some  ter- 
rible event  is  at  hand.  One  Avill  betray ;  another 
deny.  A  dark  cold  shadow  is  falling  upon  them. 
Is  it  the  shadow  of  death?  Anyhow,  He  is  mak- 
ing a  farewell.  He  will  go ;  they  know  not 
whither;  but  are  told  they  cannot  follow.  Is  the 
revelation  of  the  Father  closed?  Is  the  world  to 
be  left  unconvinced,  and,  as  it  would  seem,  vic- 
torious? There  is  a  confused  sense  of  an  aban- 
doned work,  an  undertaking  that  fails,  a  histoiy 
ending  when  it  seemed  about  to  begin.  There  is  a 
dull  feeling  of  inexplicable,  inconceivable  disap- 
pointment. In  fact,  a  few  hours  will  render  it 
overwhelming.  It  is  not  only  a  sad,  but  a  danger- 
ous time.  Love  is  unchanged  ;  but  faith  begins  to 
tremble.  With  full  knowledge  of  all  that  is  in 
their  hearts,  tlie  Lord  looks  round  on  the  perturbed 
and  anxious  countenances  directed  towards  Him, 
waiting  for  explanation  and  relief.  "  Let  not,"  He 
says,  "your  hearts  be  troubled;  ye  believe  in  God, 
believe  also  in  me."  The  first  sentence  expresses 
desire  to  console ;  the  second  intimates  intention 
to  reveal.  So  is  given  the  keynote  to  all  that  will 
follow. 

"  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled  "  is  the  first 
word  of  the  discourse.  It  will  recur  at  the  end. 
The    reasons    are    supplied    by    the    intervening 


11  TKE   FOUNDATION   WORD  125 

words.  "  Troubled "  is  the  best  English  equiva- 
lent we  can  give  for  the  Greek ;  but  as  generally 
employed,  its  force  is  fainter.  The  verb  rapdaaco,^ 
used  often  of  the  agitation  of  waters,  the  heaving 
and  surging  of  the  sea,  aptly  represents  the  deeper 
agitations  of  the  soul,  painful  to  strong  natures, 
dangerous  to  the  weak.  Thrice  it  is  used  of  our 
Lord  Himself  in  some  access  of  vehement  emotion. 
So  He  shared  the  experiences  which  in  us  He 
would  comfort  and  control.  Such  a  condition 
needs  control,  tending  as  it  does  to  confusion  of 
judgment  and  suspension  of  faith.  "  Let  not  your 
heart  be  troubled "  was  then  not  only  a  word  of 
sympathetic  kindness,  but  a  needful  counsel ;  and 
it  is  so  still,  falling  with  composing  power  on 
many  an  agitated  mind.  "  Troubled "  we  must 
be  in  the  trying  times  of  this  changeful,  sinful 
mortal  life,  but  not  as  helpless  victims  of  circum- 
stances or  feelings ;  not  as  losing  the  higher  con- 
sciousness which  should  restore  composure  and 
minister  support. 

This  consciousness  Jesus  revives  in  his  disciples 
by  the  claim  He  makes  on  their  faith.  He  does 
more  than  revive  it ;  He  augments  it  by  a  reveal- 
ing word,  — 

"  Ye  believe  iu  God,  believe  also  in  me." 

Shall  we  read  it  thus,  with  the  Authorized  Ver- 

1  Tapda-ffu,  conimoveo,  turbo,  partibus  rei  hue  illuc  jactaudis, 
pr.  v5u}p,  Tr6vTov,  TT^Xayos,  etc.  (Grinini). 


12G  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

sion  and  the  Revised  Version?  or,  with  the  mar- 
gin and  Avith  most  commentators,  "  Believe  in 
God,  believe  also  in  me  "  ?  The  form  of  the  verb 
is  both  indicative  and  imperative.  No  one  will 
adopt  the  Vulgate  translation,  which  makes  both 
clauses  indicative.  The  second  is  beyond  doubt 
a  charge  or  exhortation.  That  is  plain  from  the 
whole  drift  of  the  discourse,  and  is  intimated  by 
change  in  arrangement,  "  And  in  me  believe." 
But  what  of  the  first  clause?  If  the  word  "be- 
lieve "  be  taken  in  a  general  sense,  as  in  the  case 
of  a  creed,  the  indicative  will  suit  well,  recognis- 
ing that  belief  in  God  which  is  now  to  receive  a 
definite  completion.  But  if  the  word  "believe," 
addressed  to  troubled  minds,  carries  distinctly  the 
sense  of  trust  and  confidence,  it  seems  better  to 
read  both  clauses  as  exhortation,  "  Believe  in 
God  and  in  me  believe." 

Then  faith  in  God  and  faith  in  Christ,  though 
distinct,  are  one.  In  each  case  the  same  expres- 
sion is  employed,  and  the  same  character  of  faith 
intended.  The  word  (jria-reveiv  el^  ^)  is  used  by 
St.  John  of  believing  in  the  full  sense  of  trust  and 

1  The  phrase  nKTreveiv  els  is  characteristic  of  St.  Jolin.  It 
occurs  about  thirty- five  times  in  the  Gospel  and  three  times  in 
the  Epistle.  Elsewhere  in  the  New  Testament  about  ten  times. 
It  expresses  the  very  strongest  belief ;  motion  to,  and  repose 
in,  the  object  of  belief  (Plummer  on  John  i.  13).  The  idea  of 
this  movniwnt  of  mind  conveyed  in  els,  into,  is  imperfectly 
contaiut'd  in  our  prcpo.sitioii  in. 


II  THE   FOUNDATION   WORD  127 

affiance.  To  believe  a  person  is  one  thing,  to 
believe  in  or  on  him  is  another.  "Believe  me" 
(v.  11)  is  not  the  same  as  "believeth  on  me" 
(v.  12).  Faith  in  one  case  accepts  the  word 
spoken ;  in  the  other  it  cleaves  to  the  person 
speaking.  The  former  state  of  mind  is  a  part  of 
the  latter,  but  only  a  part  of  it.  Thus  the  same 
faith  which  is  due  to  God  is  claimed  by  Jesus  for 
Himself ;  a  great  claim  involving  a  great-  revela- 
lation,  resting  on  the  Unity  in  the  Godhead  of  the 
Father  and  the  Son. 

This  saying,  which  is  the  foundation  word  of 
the  Discourses,  is  also  the  foundation  word  of 
Christianity.  Faith  in  God,  formed  under  the 
Old  Testament,  or  from  whatever  source  begotten, 
linds  its  justification  and  completion  in  faith  in 
Jesus,  and  never  truly  finds  it  till  then.  Those 
who  would  now  believe  in  God  without  believing  in 
Jesus,  as  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  have  no  part 
in  the  promises  which  are  here  attached  to  that 
faith,  as  they  have  no  experience  of  the  life  which 
is  described  as  consequent  upon  it.  All  that  fol- 
lows is  the  outcome  of  "  Believe  also  in  me." 

But  why  should  this  be  said  to  disciples  who 
are  already  believers  ?  More  than  two  years  back 
in  the  history,  it  is  said,  "  He  manifested  forth  his 
glory,  and  his  disciples  believed  on  Him  "  (ii.  11)  ; 
and  in  the  intervening  time,  this  faith  has  been 
augmented.     But  it  may  still  need  words  of  en- 


128  THE   DISCOURSES  ciiap. 

couragement  and  confirmation.  It  often  does,  as 
the  writer  of  this  Gospel  knew.  "  These  things," 
he  says  in  his  Epistle,  "  have  I  written  unto  you 
that  believe  on  the  name  of  the  Son  of  God ;  that 
ye  may  know  that  ye  have  eternal  life,  and  that 
ye  may  believe  on  the  name  of  the  Son  of  God  " 
(1  Ep.  V.  13).  There  is  a  strain  upon  faith  Avhen 
it  is  called  to  rise  to  new  ideas,  or  to  stand  some 
searching  test.  Many  have  had  to  meet  such  ex- 
periences, but  none  perhaps  comparabl}^  to  these 
disciples  at  the  moment  at  which  they  were  then 
arriving.  Their  Master's  words  again  and  again 
bear  witness  that  He  felt  the  crisis  of  liis  own  his- 
tory to  be  the  crisis  of  their  faith.  Now  the  new 
ideas  must  open  out  before  them ;  in  a  few  hours 
the  searching  test  will  come. 


THE   FINAL   PROSPECT  129 


CHAPTER   III 

THE   FINAL   PROSPECT 

V.  2,  3 

It  is  the  hour  of  parting.  Events  are  close  at 
hand  which  must  speak  for  themselves.  They 
have  been  intimated  ;  but  the  intimations  have  not 
been  understood  ;  to  repeat  them  would  divert  from 
the  present  purpose.  That  bears  on  the  fact  of 
separation,  which  is  now  becoming  clear.  Their 
Master  goes  —  but  whither?  They  will  be  left — 
but  how  ?  What  henceforth  will  He  be  to  them  ?  or 
they  to  Him  ?  To  these  unspoken  questions  of  the 
heart  the  words  of  consolation  are  addressed.  The 
relations  which  will  subsist  are  ensured  by  promises, 
and  the  life  which  they  will  create  is  set  forth  by 
instruction.  The  promises  are  the  foundation  for 
the  instructions. 

The  last  promise  comes  first.  One  which  passes 
over  the  intermediate  life,  rises  above  things  on 
earth,  and  with  the  departing  Friend  enters  the 
world  unseen.  There  is  his  own  home,  and  there 
shall  be  theirs  also.  There  tliey  shall  be  lovingly 
expected,  and  in  due  time  received. 

J 


130  THE  DISCOURSES  chap. 

"  In  my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions ; 
If  it  were  not  so,  I  would  have  told  you. 
I  go  to  pi'epare  a  place  for  you. 
And  if  I  go  and  prepare  a  place  for  you, 
I  will  come  again  and  receive  you  unto  myself ; 
That  where  I  am,  there  ye  may  be  also." 

Scarcely  can  one  cite  these  words  without  passing 
at  once  beyond  the  limits  of  the  historic  situation. 
So  conscious  are  we  that  they  have  been  breathing 
on  with  unchanging  freshness  through  the  long  cen- 
turies of  faith,  that  now,  at  any  given  moment,  they 
are  bringing  a  real  sense  of  a  lasting  home  to  souls 
that  have  not  found  it  upon  earth ;  and  are  being 
read  by  loving  voices  as  last  accents  of  comfort  in 
the  ears  of  the  dying.  Yes !  of  all  words  that  have 
been  spoken  upon  earth,  these  have  done  the  most 
to  dispel  the  darkness  beyond  the  grave,  and  to 
give  secure  expectations  to  men  as  they  approach  it. 
But  what  was  the  effect  of  tliese  words  at  the 
time  on  the  anxious  listeners  who  heard  them  first  ? 
We  cannot  measure  the  degree,  —  rather  should  I 
say  the  various  degrees,  in  which,  in  any  company, 
new  thoughts  are  apprehended  and  advancing  reve- 
lations embraced.  But  the  words  must  have  fallen 
with  sensible  comfort  on  their  souls,  and  there 
must  have  been  at  least  a  vague  perception  of 
their  power,  in  all  those  points,  in  which,  in  our 
more  deliberate  reflection,  they  move  or  enlighten 
us  to-day. 


Ill  THE   FIXAL   PROSPECT  131 

What  are  these  points  ? 

First,  there  is  the  unity  and  distinctness  of  the 
Divine  Persons,  the  pervading  truth,  which  in  this 
and  every  stage  of  the  discourse  carries  out  the 
foundation  word  "  Believe  in  God,  believe  also  in 
Me."  Here  it  appears  in  the  ownership  of  the 
heavenly  habitation.  It  is  "  my  Father's  house," 
and  therefore  mine,  where  I  am  at  home,  and  in 
possession,  and  where  I  have  the  right  to  prepare 
appointed  places  and  receive  the  inmates  to  My- 
self. 

Then  there  is  the  tender  tone  of  kindness,  in 
which  the  information  is  given  and  the  promise 
expressed.  Set  aside  the  vastness  of  the  meaning, 
and  you  hear,  as  it  were,  the  familiar  language 
of  natural  affection  and  domestic  hospitality.  The 
speaker  departs  ;  he  must  leave  his  friends  ;  but 
not  to  forget  them  ;  he  is  going  home,  and  knows 
the  place  ;  there  are  rooms  which  he  intends  for 
them  ;  he  will  get  everything  ready  ;  he  will  look 
forward  to  their  coming ;  nay,  will  come  himself 
to  receive  them;  there  they  too  shall  be  at  home, 
in  a  fellowship  to  be  broken  no  more.  So  does 
Jesus  speak  in  the  simplest,  kindest  language  which 
an  earthly  friend  could  use ;  to  bring  home  to  our 
weak  apprehensions  the  truth  and  purposes  of  his 
love.  It  does  bring  them  home,  as  more  lofty  lan- 
guage could  not  have  done.  Under  this  homely 
wording  we  read  the  revelations  of  the  unseen. 


132  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

"  In  my  Father's  house  "  —  at  once  we  are  car- 
ried far  above  tlie  present  scene.  Once  the  words 
had  intended  the  neighbouring  Temple,  the  relig- 
ious home  of  Israel  ("  make  not  my  Father's  house  a 
house  of  merchandise,"  ii.  16).  Now  we  are  al- 
together in  another  world  of  thought :  Is  his 
Father's  house  the  universe  of  God,  which  cer- 
tainly contains  many  and  various  abodes  ?  So 
some  interpret ;  but  such  meaning  has  no  fitness 
here.  He  would  have  his  people  think  of  a  home 
with  God  whither  He  goes  and  whither  they  may 
follow.  The  Father's  dominions  are  one  idea,  the 
Father's  house  is  another.  When  we  speak  of 
heaven,  we  transport  our  local  conceptions  into  the 
unseen  world,  with  a  sense  of  how  little  they  may 
apply ;  but  we  have  no  other  conceptions  than 
these  to  use ;  and  Jesus  teaches  us  to  use  them. 

The  first  fact  is  that  in  that  house  are  many 
"mansions."  The  English  word,  derived  from 
"  maneo "  (to  abide),  represents  a  like  term  in 
Greek  {fxoval'),  a  term  not  elsewhere  employed  in 
Scripture,  but  in  this  same  chapter  (v.  23),  where 
it  is  said,  "  We  will  come  and  make  our  abode 
(^fiovt]v)  with  Him."  The  impression  given  is 
restful,  one  of  settled  continuance  and  secure 
possession.  So  St.  Paul  compares  the  "house  of 
this  tabernacle,"  soon  to  be  "  dissolved,"  with 
the  "  building  of  God,  the  house  not  made  witli 
hands,   eternal   in   the  heavens"   (2   Cor.  v.   1). 


Ill  THE   FINAL   PROSPECT  133 

These  mansions  are  "  many."  One  can  scarcely 
take  this  to  mean  merely  that  there  would  be 
room  for  those  disciples,  or  for  any  number  of 
inmates.  Not  the  inmates,  but  the  mansions,  are 
many.  Variety  of  appropriation  is  suggested, 
though  not  asserted.  If  the  disciples  had  thought 
of  the  heavenly  regions  as  an  abode  for  angelic 
natures,  it  would  be  to  them  a  revealing  word  that 
there  are  many  mansions  in  the  Father's  house, 
where  fit  place  might  be  found  for  them.  But 
indeed  such  ideas  might  have  been  well  conceived 
before.  Much  had  passed  that  might  inspire 
them ;  and  considerate  thoughtfulness  would  not 
have  left  them  to  fallacious  imaginations.  "  If  it 
were  not  so,  I  would  have  told  you." 

To  this  world  and  home  Jesus  will  now  depart ; 
but  He  goes  with  special  purposes  for  them.  Two 
such  purposes  are  mentioned,  —  preparing  a  place 
for  them,  and  receiving  them  to  Himself. 

There  is  the  Father's  house,  and  there  are  the 
many  abodes ;  but  do  they  contain  a  place  for 
them?  one  that  shall  be  theirs  by  right,  appro- 
priated for  them,  as  they  may  be  qualified  for  it? 
There  is  no  chance  or  uncertainty  in  these  things. 
Whether  in  regions  of  darkness  or  of  light,  a  man 
"  goes  to  his  own  place  "  (Acts  i.  25).  Have  poor 
children  of  men,  members  of  a  fallen  race,  on 
whom  the  stain  of  sin  has  passed,  any  proper 
place  in  the  mansions  here  intended?     It  appears 


134  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

that  they  have  none,  unless  one  shall  have  been 
prepared.  We  understand  how  men  are  prejDared 
for  the  place ;  but  not  how  the  place  is  pre- 
pared for  men.  The  one  process  is  within  our 
knowledge ;  the  other  is  above  it.  But  the  pro- 
curing cause  is  certain.  It  is  the  entrance  of 
Jesus  there.  We  have  no  reason  to  think  that 
those  who  died  under  the  old  covenant,  and  were 
carried  by  the  angels  into  "  Abraham's  bosom," 
found  their  rest  in  the  very  regions,  or  spiritual 
conditions,  of  which  the  Lord  is  speaking  here. 
Everything  points  to  the  conclusion  that  those 
abodes  did  not  open  to  sons  of  men  till  the  Son  of 
Man  was  glorified;  and  that,  "in  bringing  many 
sons  into  glory,  the  Captain  of  their  salvation " 
must  pass  into  it  before  them.  The  presence  of 
that  risen  and  glorified  humanity  was  certainly  a 
preparation  itself.  Thus  much  we  are  taught  con- 
cerning things  "within  the  veil,  whither  as  fore- 
runner Jesus  entered  for  us  "  (Heb.  vi.  20)  ;  and 
this  distinct  meaning,  at  least,  we  can  attach  to 
the  words,  "  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you." 

That  action  might  have  been  enough  for  our 
needs ;  but  it  is  not  enough  for  his  love,  which 
counts  one  grace  to  be  only  a  reason  for  another. 
"  If  I  go  and  prepare  a  place  for  you,  I  come  again, 
and  will  receive  you  unto  Myself."  Does  this 
intend  a  continuous  or  only  a  final  coming?  a 
successive  or  only  a  collective  receiving?     Surely 


m  THE   FINAL   PROSPECT  135 

both.  There  is  said  to  be  a  perspective  in  prophecy: 
there  is  in  all  divine  words  which  contemplate  a 
larger  history  than  our  thoughts  take  in,  and  treat 
the  several  stages  as  expressions  of  the  whole  and 
as  component  parts  of  the  end.  Thus  these  words 
bring  not  merely  a  further  hope,  but  an  immedi- 
ate comfort  to  the  departing  soul.  They  must 
have  taken  hold  of  the  hearts  of  believers  from  the 
first  and  returned  upon  them  in  the  hour  of  need. 
Through  all  ages  there  have  been  no  words  so 
natural  to  the  lips  of  the  dying  as  those  of  the  first 
martyr,  "  Lord  Jesus  receive  my  spirit."  For  him 
there  was  not  only  a  receiving,  but  a  "  coming  to 
receive  "  :  and  so  there  is  in  some  true  sense  for 
others.  A  Presence  comes  through  the  darkness, 
and  experience  will  explain.  But  faith  precedes 
experience,  and  the  promise  is  addressed  to  faith. 
Meantime  we  know  that,  whatever  in  the  way  of 
earnest  attends  the  first  and  immediate  change, 
the  great  coming  again,  the  great  receiving  is  not 
far  off,  when  the  promise  will  have  completion. 

"  He  which  testifieth  these  things  saith 
Yea,  I  coine  quickly, 
Amen  :  come,  Lord  Jesus." 

Great  and  manifold  are  the  thoughts  which 
attach  to  the  Coming ;  but  they  have  no  place  in 
this  parting  hour.  For  the  present  the  personal 
feeling   is   all ;  and  the  sorrow  of  separation  can 


136  THE   DLSCOUKSES  chap. 

be  consoled  only  by  the  prospect  of  reunion.  "  I 
will  receive  you  unto  myself^  that  ivhere  lam  there 
ye  may  he  ahoT  That  is  here  the  one  thought  of 
happiness  in  the  coming,  the  receiving,  and  tlie 
prepared  place.  It  was  so  for  the  disciples ;  may 
we  not  say  also  for  Jesus  Himself?  for  we  listen 
unmistakeably  to  a  genuine  voice  of  human  affec- 
tion, as  well  as  to  the  deeper  tones  of  divine  love. 
Great  is  the  mystery  of  that  love,  wliich  makes  the 
joy  of  final  fellowship  to  be  his  as  well  as  theirs  ; 
a  chief  feature  in  "  the  joy  that  was  set  before  Plim." 
How  present  was  this  thought  to  his  mind,  how 
indissolubly  united  with  that  of  his  own  passage 
into  glory  !  So  He  spake  in  the  last  soliloquy  in 
the  Temple,  "  If  any  man  serve  me,  let  him  follow 
me :  and  where  I  am,  there  shall  also  my  servant 
be  "  (xii.  26) ;  so  in  the  final  prayer,  "  Father,  I 
will  that  they  also  whom  Thou  hast  given  me  be 
with  me  where  I  am  "  (xvii.  24).  For  us  it  becomes 
the  one  thought  which,  in  view  of  the  momentous 
change,  at  once  comprehends  and  supersedes  all 
others.  These  words  of  Christ  have  dwelt  in  the 
heart  of  the  Church.  To  be  "absent  from  the 
body  and  at  home  with  the  Lord"  (2  Cor.  v.  8),  to 
"  depart  and  to  be  with  Christ "  (Phil.  i.  23),  have 
been  to  believers  a  sufficient  account  of  death. 
That  one  truth  has  set  the  mind  at  rest,  adjourn- 
ing all  further  questions,  or  securing  all  needful 
answers. 


in  THE   FINAL   PROSPECT  137 

"  Let  nie  be  with  Thee,  where  Thou  art, 

My  Saviour,  mine  eternal  rest; 
Then  only  will  this  longing  heart 

Be  fully  and  for  ever  blest. 
Let  me  be  with  Thee,  where  Thou  art, 

Where  none  can  die,  where  none  remove  ; 
There  neither  death  nor  life  will  part 

Me  from  thy  presence  and  thy  love." 

Thus  the  opening  words  of  consolation  are  those 
which  tell  of  the  end.  As  has  been  observed,  the 
last  promise  comes  first.  Is  that  an  instance  of 
the  "divine  confusion"?  Say,  rather,  of  divine 
order.  It  came  naturally,  to  relieve  the  first  pain 
of  parting ;  but  it  would  have  been  adopted  by  the 
most  deliberate  scheme  of  discourse.  Now  every- 
thing else  will  fall  into  its  place.  Intermediate 
promises  and  instructions  will  be  felt  to  be  inter- 
mediate, and  will  derive  accessions  of  fitness  and 
force  from  the  consciousness  of  the  conclusion  to 
wliich  they  lead.  The  passage  through  the  valley 
is  changed,  when  once  we  have  caught  sight  of 
the  hills  beyond.  We  know,  in  all  lines  of  life, 
how  differently  things  are  understood,  when  felt 
to  be  by  the  way  and  seen  in  relation  to  the  end ; 
and  that  can  only  be  when  the  end  has  been 
unveiled.  We  see,  then,  the  reason  for  placing 
this  subject  in  the  forefront,  and  so  emitting  a 
light  of  hope  which  will  shine  on  all  that  is  to 
follow.     A  discourse  which  opens  in  its  first  sen- 


138  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

tence  with  a  fundamental  principle  of  doctrine 
on  which  everything  is  to  rest,  and  then  with  a 
supreme  promise  which  gives  command  of  the 
whole  situation,  intimates  an  intention  of  order 
and  connexion  in  succeeding  topics ;  and  this  we 
may  hope  to  trace,  though  it  seem  to  elude  obser- 
vation, in  the  current  of  communication  so  unre- 
strained in  manner  and  so  profound  in  meaning. 


SELF-REVELATION  139 


CHAPTER   IV 

SELF-REVELATION 
V.  4-11 

Few  words  have  served  to  ensure  the  end  and 
describe  the  final  prospect.  The  teaching  wanted 
is  for  those  who  are  yet  upon  the  way.  To  know 
the  way  which  will  lead  to  tlie  end,  to  understand 
its  nature,  its  exigencies,  and  its  provisions,  these 
are  the  necessities  which  the  rest  of  the  Discourse 
supplies.  Two  considerations  will  assist  its  inter- 
pretation. One  is  that  the  persons  addressed  are 
individaal  men  at  a  certain  moment  of  their  own 
experience,  yet  tliat  they  are  a  college  formed  for 
the  instruction  of  mankind,  and  put  in  trust  with 
the  truths  communicated  to  them  in  the  interests 
of  the  Church  for  ever.  The  other  consideration 
is,  that  what  they  are  to  learn  now  can  only  be 
founded  on  what  they  have  learned  already ;  since 
that  is  a  first  principle  in  all  effective  education. 
Therefore  the  Master's  words  are  directed,  first,  to 
assume  a  certain  measure  of  knowledge ;  then  to 
draw  out  a  confession  of  its  defect ;  then  to  raise 
it  to  the  higher  level. 


140  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

The  subject  of  tlie  ieaclnng  and  these  purposes 
in  regard  to  it  are  condensed  in  the  word  of 
introduction,  — 

"  And  whither  I  go,  ye  know  the  way." 

This,  the  true  reading,  given  in  the  Revised 
Version,  if  less  grammatical  than  that  to  which 
we  were  accustomed,  is  more  direct  to  the  point. 
To  this  assumption  one  voice,  at  least,  demurs, 
that  of  a  disciple,  whom  we  know  from  other  in- 
stances, is  forward  to  express  perplexed  or  down- 
cast feelings.  Yet  doubtless  he  speaks  for  the 
rest.     Thomas  saith,  — 

"Lord,  we  know  not  whither  Thou  goest:  how  do  we 
know  the  way?" 

They  knew  it,  as  Jesus  said ;  yet,  as  Thomas 
implied,  they  knew  it  not !  They  knew  it,  for 
they  were  in  it  by  virtue  of  their  relations  with 
their  Lord ;  but  they  knew  it  not  in  its  character 
of  the  way.  So  one  may  be  walking  in  a  road, 
pleased  with  the  actual  scene,  without  much 
knowledge  of  the  destination  to  which  it  is  in- 
tended to  lead.  But  that  is  the  truth  now  to  be 
impressed.  It  is  a  grand,  ample,  and  pregnant 
answer,  which  these  words  call  forth,  a  prime 
principle  of  the  future  Christian  Faith  :  — 

"Jesus  saith  unto  him,  I  am  the  way,  and  the  truth,  and 
tlie  life  :  no  one  cometh  to  the  Fatlier  but  by  me." 

We  know  this  :  "  I  am  "  {eyco  cIixl).,  as  distinctive 


IV  SELF-KEVELATION  141 

of  the  teaching  of  Christ.  It  is  not,  I  make  tlie 
way ;  I  shew  the  truth  ;  I  give  the  life  :  but  all 
this  I  am.  The  first  predicate  not  heard  before 
gives  the  lesson  now  specially  intended.  The 
two  others,  already  well-known  words,  preserve 
the  fulness  of  the  revelation.  A  way,  taken  by 
itself,  as  means  to  an  end,  might  have  no  wortli 
beyond  that  office,  great  as  its  worth  in  that  sense 
might  be ;  but  this  case  is  not  such.  Jesus  Christ 
is  not  a  mere  expedient  for  salvation.  His  inter- 
vention is  not  that  oidy  of  a  revealer  of  truth  and 
a  conductor  into  life.  He  becomes  the  way,  be- 
cause He  is  absolutely  the  truth  and  the  life  in  his 
own  nature,  and  relatively  to  man  by  communica- 
tions of  Himself.  Tluis  in  the  nature  of  things, 
and  not  only  by  economic  arrangement  or  positive 
ordinance,  He  is  for  us  "  the  way  "  to  the  Father, 
to  the  spiritual  world,  and  to  the  heavenly  hoiue. 
This  is  the  lesson  here,  as  contained  in  the  leading 
word  and  afterwards  in  the  decisive  exposition, 
"  No  man  cometli  unto  the  Father,  but  by  Me." 
Two  points  may  be  noted.  The  coming  is  the  act 
of  man,  a  voluntary  coming ;  and  it  is  a  coming 
to  God  as  the  Father.  We  observe  an  advance 
in  the  teaching,  from  place  to  Person,  from  the 
Father's  house  to  the  Father  Himself.  The  arri- 
val at  the  house  is  now  seen  as  the  consequence 
and  consummation  of  a  previous  coming  to  tlie 
Father.     It  is  well  said  by  Godet,  — 


142  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

"  Ce  n'est  pas  dans  le  ciel  qu'on  trouve  Dieu  ; 
C'est  en  Dieu  qu'on  trouve  le  ciel."  (p.  467). 

The  Christianity  of  Christ  is  intensely  personal, 
in  the  sense  of  having  directly  to  do  with  Persons. 
Heaven  is  not  the  end  proposed,  nor  is  a  creed  or 
method  the  way  prescribed.  The  Father  Himself 
is  the  end ;  Jesus  Himself  is  the  way.  He  is  the 
only  way,  —  "  No  man  cometh  unto  the  Father,  but 
by  Me."  But  had  not  men  come  to  God  in  the 
older  time  ?  In  reference  to  one  in  the  earliest  age 
of  the  Avorld,  it  is  argued,  "He  that  cometh  to 
God  must  believe  that  He  is  ;  and  that  He  is  a  re- 
warder  of  them  that  seek  Him  out "  (Heb.  xi.  6). 
Thus  in  faintest  light  of  revelation,  with  most  ele- 
mentary instructions  to  faith,  men  came  to  God. 
Yes !  but  this  does  not  exclude  mediating  commu- 
nications from  the  Eternal  Word,  nor  does  it  affirm, 
acceptance  secured  by  other  means  than  the  pre- 
destined work  of  "  the  Lamb  slain  from  the  foun- 
dation of  the  world."  Yet  it  is  certain,  that  for 
him  "  that  is  least  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven," 
there  is  a  coming  to  the  Father,  different  in  char- 
acter and  effect  from  that  which  was  attained 
before.  Since  the  manifestation  of  Jesus  Christ 
in  the  flesh,  the  sentence  "  No  man  cometh  to  the 
Father,  but  by  Me  "  has  received  an  explicit  mean- 
ing, to  be  met  by  a  corresponding  faith. 

What  then  is  this  coming  (Scd)  by  or  through 
Him  ?     Like  other  sayings  of  this  pregnant  teach- 


IV  SELF-REVELATION  143 

ing,  it  will  unfold  into  fuller  revelation.  Hence 
interpretation  may  adopt  separate  truths  and  dif- 
ferent lines  of  thought.  One  religious  system  will 
interpret  "  by  fulfilling  his  precepts " ;  another, 
"  by  likeness  to  his  spirit " ;  another,  by  reliance 
on  his  merits  ;  another,  by  faith  in  his  blood.  But 
every  limited  exposition  falls  short  of  the  truth, 
which  the  Lord  has  comprehended  in  the  single 
word  "by  ]\Ie."  By  the  incarnation  which  creates 
the  meeting  point  for  man  with  God,  by  the  human 
righteousness  in  which  God  is  "  well  pleased,"  by 
the  cross  and  passion  which  remove  the  barrier  of 
sin,  by  the  resurrection  which  raises  man  to  a  new 
position,  by  the  gift  of  the  spirit  which  is  life 
towards  God,  by  the  perpetual  efficacy  and  aid  of 
the  mediation  in  heaven,  —  by  all  these  means  and 
powers  we  have  in  Christ  that  "  access  "  (jrpoa- 
aycoyt]')  to  the  Father  of  which  the  Apostolic  writ- 
ings so  largely  speak.  There  it  is  the  constant 
description  of  the  Christian  state,  that  "  through 
Tlim  we  have  had  our  access  by  faith  into  this 
grace  wherein  we  stand "  (Rom.  v.  2) ;  that 
"through  Him  we  have  our  access  in  one  Spirit 
unto  the  Father"  (Eph.  ii.  18)  ;  that  "in  Him  we 
have  boldness  and  access  in  confidence  through 
our  faith  in  Him"  (iii.  15);  that  we  "are  made 
nigh  in  the  blood  of  Christ "  (ii.  13)  ;  that  we 
have  boldness  to  enter  into  the  holiest  by  the  blood 
of  Jesus,  by  the  way  which  He  dedicated  for  us,  a 


144  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

new  and  living  way,  through  the  veil  —  that  is  to 
say,  his  llesh,  and  having  (in  Him)  a  great  priest 
over  the  house  of  God  (Heb.  x.  19-21),  and  finally 
that,  as  ever  living  and  interceding,  "  He  is  ahle 
to  save  to  the  uttermost  those  that  come  unto  God 
through  Him"  (vii.  25).  In  these  and  many 
like  expressions,  or  rather  in  the  entire  Apostolic 
Gospel,  we  recognise  the  expansion  of  the  words 
"  I  am  the  way.  No  man  cometh  unto  the  Father, 
but  by  Me." 

Thougli  these  truths  will  all  unfold  when  "  Jesus 
is  glorified,"  yet  the  first  communication  and  con- 
ception of  them  belongs  to  the  time  of  his  mani- 
festation in  the  flesh.  Knowledge  received  then 
must  be  the  foundation  of  knowledge  which  will 
ensue.  It  had  been  received ;  but  how  imper- 
fectly !  how  unintelligently  !  The  defect  must  be  " 
exposed  and  reproved.  The  knowledge  must  be 
made  conscious.  It  must  be  put  into  words ;  and 
a  divine  certainty  given  to  it  at  this  crisis  of  the 
teaching.     Therefore  the  Lord  proceeds  :  — 

"  If  ye  had  known  nie,  ye  would  have  known  my  Father 
also :  from  henceforth  ye  know  him,  and  have  seen  him. 
Philip  s.aith  unto  him,  Lord,  shew  ns  the  Father,  and  it 
Rufficetli  us.  Jesus  saith  unto  liim,  Have  I  been  so  long  time 
with  you,  and  dost  thou  not  know  me,  Philip?  he  tliat  hath 
seen  me  hath  seen  the  Father;  how  sayest  thou.  Shew  us 
the  Father?  Believest  thou  not  that  I  am  in  the  Father, 
and  the  Fatlicr  in  me?  The  words  that  T  say  unto  you  I 
speak  not  from  myself;  but  the  Father  abiding  in  me  doeth 


IV  SELF-REVELATION   ,  145 

his  works.  Believe  nie  that  I  am  in  the  Father,  and  the 
Father  in  nie  ;  or  else  believe  me  for  the  very  works'  sake  " 
(7-11). 

Not  now  for  the  first  time  are  sucli  words  spoken. 
Others  lil^e  tliem  had  been  heard  by  the  disciples 
in  tlie  public  pronouncements  of  their  Lord.  Does 
He  now  say  to  them,  "If  ye  had  known  Me,  ye 
would  have  known  my  Father  also  "  ?  So  had  He 
said  to  the  Jews,  "  Ye  know  neither  Me  nor  my 
Father  ;  if  ye  knew  Me,  ye  would  know  my  Father 
also"  (viii.  19).  Does  He  now  say,  "He  that 
has  seen  Me  hath  seen  the  Father  "  ?  So  had  He 
said  before,  "  He  that  believeth  on  Me  believeth 
on  Him  that  sent  Me ;  and  he  that  beholdetli  Me 
beholdeth  Him  that  sent  Me  "  (xii.  44,  45).  Does 
He  say,  "  The  Avords  that  I  say  unto  you  I  speak 
not  from  Myself:  but  the  Father  abiding  in  Me 
doeth  his  works  "  ?  So  had  He  said,  "  I  spake  not 
from  Myself.  .  .  .  The  things  which  I  speak,  even 
as  the  Father  said  unto  Me,  so  I  speak  "  (xii.  49, 
50).  Does  He  say,  "  Believe  Me  that  I  am  in  the 
Father,  and  the  Father  in  Me ;  or  else  believe  Me 
for  the  very  works'  sake  "  ?  The  same  grounds 
for  the  same  belief  had  been  urged  before.  "If  I 
do  not  the  works  of  my  Father,  believe  Me  not. 
But  if  I  do  them,  though  ye  believe  not  Me,  be- 
lieve the  works  ;  that  ye  may  know  and  understand 
that  the  Father  is  in  Me,  and  I  in  the  Father" 
(x.  37,  38).     No!  there  is  nothing  new  in  these 

K 


146  „.   THE    DISCOURSES  chap. 

profound  announcements  and  fundamental  truths. 
On  these,  what  is  now  spoken  to  disciples  had  been 
first  addressed  to  the  world.  It  is  always  so. 
Men  become  believers  and  disciples  not  in  response 
to  an  esoteric  teaching  privately  imparted,  but  by 
reception  of  the  common  doctrine  published  to  all. 
To  them,  the  difference  is  in  the  confiding  tone  of 
the  communications  which  ensue,  and  in  the  fur- 
ther development  of  the  truths  they  have  received. 
So  in  regard  to  these  sayings :  to  the  Jews  the 
message  is  closed;  to  the  disciples  it  is  opened 
out. 

In  the  words  "  If  ye  had  known  Me,  ye  woidd 
have  known  my  Father  also,"  according  to  the  cor- 
rected reading  (et  iyvcoKetre  /ie,  koI  tov  watepa  fiov 
av  ijSetre^  there  is  a  discrimination  in  the  character 
of  the  knowledge  by  use  of  two  different  verbs ;  the 
first  representing  a  knowledge  acquired  and  pro- 
gressive ;  the  second,  a  knowledge  perceptive  and 
immediate.  If  the  disciples  had  learned  to  know 
Jesus,  as  they  should  have  known  Ilim,  that  would 
have  involved  a  perception  of  the  Divine,  a  sense 
of  God  in  Him.  The  failure  is  worthy  of  sad 
reproof,  but  it  is  not  of  such  a  kind  as  should  close 
the  message.  On  the  contrary,  their  measure  of 
attainment  is  assumed,  and  what  it  misses  is  now 
to  be  given. 

"From  now  (avr'  dpri  'yivdio-KeTe)  ye  know  (are 
knowing  or  coming  to  know)  Him  and  have  seen 


IV  SELF-REVELATION  147 

Him."  That  last  word,  "have  seen,"  evokes  an 
appeal  which  otherwise  had  scarcely  been  uttered, 
—  "  Lord,  shew  us  the  Father,  and  it  sufficeth  us." 
Some  discovery  of  the  Invisible,  otherwise  than  by 
spoken  word,  has  been  intimated.  Indeed,  it  seems 
wanted.  Like  Moses,  when  he  urged  a  like  request, 
"  I  beseech  Thee  shew  me  thy  glory,"  they  felt  that 
their  faith  needed  some  supernatural  confirmation  ; 
one  which  would  preclude  doubt  and  satisfy  long- 
ing ;  one  of  which  they  could  sa}^,  "It  sufficeth  us." 
Like  thoughts  have  wrought  in  many  a  heart,  with 
a  secret  feeling,  that,  for  the  faith  demanded,  what 
is  given  does  not  suffice.  That  was  the  meaning 
of  the  Jews  when  they  required  a  sign  from  heaven. 
It  is  the  same  plea,  but  not  in  the  same  spirit. 
There  it  was  in  the  scorn  of  unbelief,  here  it  is  in 
the  anxiety  of  unenlightened  faith.  It  must  be 
shewn  that  what  has  been  given  seems  not  suffi- 
cient, only  because  it  has  not  been  understood. 

Philip,  the  first  disciple  in  the  second  rank,  is 
here  the  spokesman  for  the  rest.  The  answer  is  a 
grave  and  tender  remonstrance,  passing  into  a  dis- 
tinct and  sublime  assertion.  Through  the  whole 
time  that  their  Lord  has  been  with  them,  the  dis- 
covery asked  for  had  been  going  on.  "  He  that 
hath  seen  Me  hath  seen  the  Father."  The  Person 
with  whom  they  had  companied,  his  life,  his  words, 
his  works,  whicli  they  had  witnessed,  had  been  the 
true  answers  to  their  request,  indeed,  the  only  pos- 


148  THE    DISCOURSES  chap. 

sible  answers.  "  The  lieavens  declare  the  glory  of 
God  " ;  but  the  higher  glory  of  his  nature,  in  what 
(for  want  of  a  better  word)  we  call  his  moral  attri- 
butes, cannot  be  manifested  in  material  works. 
Holiness,  grace,  and  truth  can  only  appear  in  a 
person,  a  character,  a  life.  These  came  by  Jesus 
Christ.  "  No  man  hath  seen  God  at  any  time  ;  the 
only  begotten  Son,  Avhich  is  in  the  bosom  of  the 
Father,  He  hath  declared  Ilim  "  (John  i.  17,  18). 
The  discovery  has  been  made,  the  indwelling 
Deity  had  shone  before  their  eyes,  the  Father  had 
been  manifested  in  the  Son ;  but  as  yet  only  dimly 
descried  by  eyes  which  had  been  holden.  The 
truth  must  be  made  plain.  "  How  sayest  thou, 
Shew  us  the  Father?  Believest  thou  not  that  I 
am  in  the  Father,  and  the  Father  in  Me?  The 
words  that  I  say  unto  you  I  speak  not  from^ 
Myself;  but  the  Father  abiding  in  Me,  He  doeth 
his  works.  Believe  Me,  that  I  am  in  the  Father, 
and  the  Father  in  Me." 

Here  we  reach  the  central  truth,  on  which  all  else 
depends ;  twice  affirmed  here,  and  soon  repeated 
in  the  final  Prayer :  "  Thou,  Father,  art  in  Me, 
and  I  in  Thee  "  (xvii.  23).  All  that  is  passing  is 
to  be  read  as  a  history,  not  of  God  and  Christ,  but 
of  God  in  Christ.  That  is  the  character  claimed 
for  all  the  words  and  works.  That  is  the  charac- 
ter recognised  afterwards  in  the  one  great  work, 
in  which  all  the  rest  is  compreliended ;  God  was 


IV  SELF-REVELATION  149 

in  Christ  reconciling  the  world  unto  Himself" 
(2  Cor.  V.  19).  The  secret  of  all  is  in  the  mys- 
tery of  the  mutual  indwelling,  in  the  harmony  of 
action,  mind,  and  will,  resting  on  the  essential 
unity  of  nature.  This  involves  the  truth  of,  "  I 
am  the  way ;  no  man  cometh  unto  the  Father,  but 
by  Me."  This  explains  the  charge,  "  Ye  believe 
in  God ;  believe  also  in  Me."  The  foundation 
doctrine  of  the  discourse,  and  of  Cliristianity  itself, 
is  now  complete. 

But  there  is  in  this  self-revelation  a  mystery,  as 
well  as  a  majesty,  which  may  claim  a  stronger 
assurance  than  usual.  That  Jesus  could  sym- 
pathise with  the  hesitations  of  faith  is  evinced  by 
the  form  of  his  present  testimony,  which  adds  to 
an  appeal  for  confidence  the  suggestion  of  an 
argument  in  reserve.  In  so  speaking.  He  has 
thrown  light  on  a  question  of  no  little  moment. 

A  great  demand  is  made  on  faith.  What  are 
the  grounds  on  which  the  claim  is  rested?  Two 
are  indicated,  "  Believe  Me  (that  I  am  in  the 
Father,  and  the  Father  in  Me),  or  else  believe  Me 
for  the  very  works'  sake."  The  same  distinction 
of  reasons  for  faith,  and  for  faith  in  the  same 
doctrine,  had  been  made  in  discussion  with  the 
Jews.  "  If  ye  believe  not  Me,  believe  the  works  " 
(x.  38).  The  first  ground  for  believing  the  asser- 
tion made  is  in  the  person  who  makes  it ;  the 
second,  in  the  works  which  support  it.     The  first 


150  THE  DISCOURSES  chap. 

appears  as  the  primary  claim ;  the  second  as  sup- 
plementary or  alternative  :  supplementary  in  the 
case  of  disciples  under  the  power  of  the  personal 
impression;  alternative  in  the  case  of  the  Jews 
who  fail  to  feel  it. 

These  sayings  of  the  Lord  seem  to  give  his 
own  estimate  of  the  "evidences  of  Christianity,"  a 
question  which  has  been  much  debated,  and  on 
which  different  views  are  taken  by  minds  of  dif- 
ferent habits.  According  to  the  first  view,  Jesus 
Christ  is  his  own  evidence,  by  the  force  of  his 
unique  personality,  and  by  the  impression  which  it 
makes  on  the  soul.  According  to  the  second,  He 
gives  the  evidence  by  works  above  natural  power, 
and  by  the  conclusions  which  reason  must  draw. 
The  effect  of  the  one  evidence  is  heard  in  the  cry 
of  the  first  disciples,  who  as  yet  had  seen  no 
miracle  :  "  We  have  found  the  Messias  "  ;  "  Thou 
art  the  Son  of  God,  thou  art  the  King  of  Israel " 
(i.  41-48).  The  effect  of  the  other  is  heard  in 
the  acknowledgment  of  the  candid  Pharisee :  "  We 
know  that  thou  art  a  teacher  come  from  God;  for 
no  man  can  do  these  signs  that  thou  doest  excej)t 
God  be  with  him  "  (iii.  2).  The  conclusion  in 
the  one  case  is  from  intuitive  perception  and 
spiritual  sympathy ;  in  the  other,  from  deliberate 
observation  and  logical  reasoning.  The  one  is  a 
more  intimate  conviction,  and  generates  a  higher 
faith ;  the  otlier  is  more  capable  of  verbal  exposi- 


IV  SELF-KEVELATION  151 

tion  and  defence.  These  two  kinds  of  evidence 
have  had  with  us  an  alternate  influence.  To  a 
generation  suspicious  of  feeling  and  enthusiasm, 
and  trustful  in  the  understanding  alone,  miracles 
became  the  ideal  evidence.  Now,  a  generation, 
impressed  with  the  fixity  of  physical  laws,  and 
appreciative  of  psychological  considerations,  is 
disposed  to  slight  the  supernatural,  and  insist  only 
upon  the  moral  evidence.  But  can  the  two  be 
severed?  or  the  one  dispense  with  the  other?  Is 
there  not  a  natural  correspondence  between  the 
Person  and  the  works,  the  impression  and  the 
signs  which  confirm  it  ?  In  these  sayings  of  Jesus, 
both  kinds  of  evidence  are  combined  and  placed  in 
their  relative  positions.  Thus  man  is  appealed  to 
on  the  whole ;  and  the  recognition  by  one  part  of 
his  nature  is  sustained  by  the  conclusions  of  the 
other.  The  witness  within  is  of  such  a  character 
as  to  expect  the  witness  from  without;  and  the 
witness  without  answers  its  end  only  by  generating 
the  witness  within.  Thus,  to  believe  the  testi- 
mony of  Jesus  concerning  Himself  for  his  own 
sake,  or  to  believe  it  for  the  works'  sake,  are 
processes  which  in  some  sort  include  each  other, 
and  in  their  combined  effect  create  the  full  con- 
fidence of  faith.  Yet,  with  a  true  disciple,  the 
evidence  of  works  is  only  a  subsidiary  aid ;  it  is 
knowledge  of  Jesus  in  Himself  which  inspires  an 
assured  faith  in  his  highest  self-revelations. 


152  THE    DISCOURSES 


CHAPTER  V 

THE    PROMISE    OF    TOWER 

V.  12-14 

The  works  have  been  alleged  as  evidence  for 
the  faith  which  has  been  claimed.  It  is  now  de- 
clared that  this  evidence  is  not  closed,  and  that 
there  is  another  course  of  it  to  come.  In  saying 
this  the  discourse  enters  on  tlie  next  stage  of  the 
history,  and  opens  the  dispensation  of  the  future. 
This  transition  is  an  instance,  not  of  any  confu- 
sion of  topics,  but  of  consecutive  order.  When  the- 
object  of  faith  has  been  clearly  presented,  the  life 
of  faith  is  to  be  unfolded ;  and  the  brief  decisive 
■exposition  of  what  is  to  be  believed  concerning 
Jesus  leads  to  the  information  of  what  is  to  be 
expected  from  Him.  The  transition  is  marked  by 
the  Amen,  Amen,  which  usually  intimates  such  an 
advance  in  divine  disclosures  as  may  need  ratifica- 
tion, on  account  either  of  its  greatness  or  of  its 
strangeness  to  previous  thought.  So  it  stands 
here,  not  only  in  connexion  with  the  words  imme- 
diately following,  but  as  bearing  on  all  the  rest  of 
the  discourse. 


V  THE   PEOMISE   OF   POWER  153 

"  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  believetli  on  ine, 
the  works  that  I  do  shall  he  do  also ;  and  greater  works  than 
these  shall  he  do ;  because  I  go  unto  the  Father.  And  what- 
soever ye  shall  ask  in  my  name,  that  will  I  do,  that  the 
Father  may  be  glorified  in  the  Son.  Jf  ye  shall  ask  (me) 
anything  in  my  name,  that  will  I  do  "  (12-14). 

We  are  now  carried  beyond  the  dividing  line 
of  the  dejjarture  into  tlie  experiences  wliich  will 
ensue  for  the  disciples,  and  so  into  the  history  of 
the  Church,  The  action  of  Jesus  in  person  is  ex- 
changed for  that  of  the  believer  in  Him,  yet  the 
continuity  of  the  histor}^  is  preserved  :  "  The  works 
which  I  do,  shall  he  do  also  "  ;  but  it  is  a  continuity 
of  advance,  "  greater  works  than  these  shall  he 
do."  The  Author  of  them  is  also  the  same,  for 
the  intermediate  agent  becomes  such  only  as  a 
believer  in  Him  and  by  prayer  in  his  name  ;  and 
"  he  will  do  "  {irou'iaei),  and,  "  I  will  do  "  (7rot);o-&)), 
are  expressed  by  the  same  verb.  Also  the  works 
are  greater,  as  a  consequence  of  the  exaltation 
of  their  Author,  "because  I  go  to  the  Father." 
Thereby  the  fountain  of  power  for  the  Church  is 
opened  at  the  throne  of  God,  and  the  resources  of 
heaven  are  pledged  to  the  applications  of  faith  and 
prayer.  Finally  all  is  directed  to  one  end,  "  That 
the  Father  may  be  glorified  in  the  Son." 

Thus  in  pregnant  words  and  brief  outline  the 
dispensation  of  the  future  is  described :  its  conti- 
nuity with  the  preceding  histor}-,  its  greater  ele- 


154  THE   DISCOURSES 


vation  and  expansion,  its  author  and  governor,  its 
ministers  and  agents,  its  means  and  methods,  the 
secret  of  its  power,  its  intent  and  end. 

Soon  will  the  disciples  prove  the  truth  of  this 
account  which  now  they  can  but  very  faintly  ap- 
prehend. As  believers  in  the  risen  and  ascended 
Lord,  they  will  do  such  works  as  He  did  on  earth, 
so  far  and  so  long  as  there  is  just  occasion  for 
them,  but  they  will  find  that  occasion  superseded 
by  the  greater  works  to  which  these  ^vill  conduce. 
The  few  scores  of  adherents  whom  the  ministry  of 
Jesus  had  attracted  will  become  the  many  thou- 
sands of  believers  whom  the  Apostles  will  gather. 
The  fabric  of  the  Church  will  rise  under  their 
hands,  and  spiritual  life  will  follow  on  their  word. 
In  all  this  they  will  know  no  power  but  that  of 
their  ascended  Lord,  and  no  means  of  success  but 
prayer  in  his  name.  They  will  count  that  it  is  He 
who  works  all  things  by  them,  and  will  seek  no 
end  lower  than  this,  "  that  God  in  all  things  may 
be  glorified  through  Jesus  Christ "  (1  Pet.  iv.  11). 
Having  their  acts  and  their  writings  under  the 
dispensation  which  is  here  announced,  we  can  see 
how  the  facts  fulfilled  the  promises.  As  yet  they 
understood  not  these  things,  but  in  hearing  the 
words  they  must  have  felt  that  there  were  rising 
before  them  new  sources  of  comfort  and  new  pros- 
pects of  hope. 

Among  the  elements  of  the  future,  which  this 


V  THE   TROMISE   OF   POWER  155 

passage  contains,  is  the  special  feature  and  distinc- 
tive characteristic  of  Christian  prayer ;  namely, 
the  asking  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  Not  possible 
during  the  companionship  in  the  flesh,  it  is  now 
heard  for  the  first  time,  being  implied  in  the 
higher  faith  which  has  just  been  tauglit,  and 
proper  to  the  dispensation  which  is  at  hand. 
Twice  is  it  repeated  here,  once  in  respect  of 
"whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  the  Father,"  once  on 
the  supposition,  "  if  ye  shall  ask  Me " ;  the  last 
word  being  an  uncertain  but  probable  reading.  If 
adopted,  it  conveys  an  admitted  truth,  illustrated 
by  the  earliest  examples  of  Christian  prayer  (Acts 
i.  124 ;  vii.  59,  Q6')^  by  the  language  of  the  Apos- 
tolic writings,  and  frequent  in  the  devotions  of 
the  Church.  But  direct  address  to  the  glorified 
Son  of  Man  is  (as  in  our  Liturgy)  occasional. 
Prayer  in  his  name  is  a  perpetual  act,  an  abiding 
consciousness  and  intention.  "  Through  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord "  sounds  through  all  worship,  in 
all  churches,  and  all  ages.  It  is  no  mystery.  Re- 
quests made  in  the  name  of  another  are  under- 
stood to  imply  the  appropriation  to  one's  self  of 
his  claims,  his  merits,  his  rights  to  be  heard. 
Such  appropriation  and  the  admission  of  it  can 
only  rest  on  close  relationship  and  definite  author- 
isation. Both  these  exist  in  the  present  case : 
relationship,  in  that  we  appear  before  God  as  mem- 
bers   of    Christ;   authorisation,    in    his    own    ordi- 


156  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

nance  expressed  in  other  places,  and  first  in  this. 
Tlie  phrase,  "  ask  in  m}'  name,"  occurs  five  times 
afterwards  in  these  discourses,  and  at  the  close  as  a 
final  charge  reiterated  and  emphatic  (xvi.  24,  26). 
Thus  was  given  to  the  Church  not  a  mere  devo- 
tional form,  but  a  new  ground  on  which  the  wor- 
shipper stands  ;  a  new  plea  for  the  success  of  his 
petitions ;  and,  in  fact,  a  wholly  new  character  to 
prayer,  since  it  must  be  brought  into  unison  with 
the  mind  of  Him  in  whose  name  it  is  presented. 

How  welcome  is  this  charge !  how  suited  to  all 
our  need !  Certainly  it  is  a  positive  ordinance, 
but  is  felt  as  a  moral  necessity ;  in  view,  on  the 
one  side,  of  the  disabilities  of  sin,  and  on  the  other, 
of  the  relations  of  the  believer  with  his  Saviour. 
The  most  elementar}^  prayer,  if  true  at  all,  finds 
in  this  ordinance  comfort  and  relief ;  and  in  pro- 
portion as  knowledge  of  sin  grows  deeper,  and 
approaches  to  God  are  more  close,  and  as  emer- 
gencies of  spiritual  life  multiply,  and  its  capacities 
and  desires  enlarge,  in  that  proportion  is  there  an 
increasing  power  and  sweetness  in  this  use  of  the 
prevailing  name.  So  all  liturgies  and  public  de- 
votions, all  private  prayers  and  supplications,  all 
secret  communion  with  God,  and  unuttered  breath- 
ings of  the  soul,  have  derived  their  tone  and  life 
from  this  ordinance  of  the  central  chapter  of  the 
Gospel. 


THE  PKOMISE  OF  THE  PARACLETE 


CHAPTER   VI 

THE   PROMISE   OF   THE   PARACLETE 
V.   15-24 

The  words  of  promise  thus  given,  important  as 
they  were,  yet  did  not  meet  tlie  case.  They  did 
not  afford  the  consolation  needed  b}^  those  troubled 
souls.  A  prospect  of  works  to  be  done,  and  gifts 
to  be  supplied  for  doing  them,  did  not  take  ac- 
count of  the  real  distress,  or  answer  the  desolate 
feelings  of  the  moment.  The  departure,  which  is 
at  liand,  means  indehnite  separation  with  the  loss 
of  the  dear  presence  in  which  they  have  lived,  and 
of  the  companionship  which  has  been  their  guid- 
ance and  support.  It  means  also  the  disappoint- 
ment of  their  just  expectation  that  their  Lord 
was  about  to  be  manifested  to  the  world.  These 
are  the  thoughts  which  amaze  and  depress  their 
hearts  ;  and  to  meet  these  thoughts,  the  rest  of  the 
discourse  is  directed.  Addressed,  as  it  is,  to  the 
feelings  of  the  men  at  the  moment,  it  remains  a 
revelation  of  enduring  truth,  and  is  still  for  us 
a  divine  interpretation  of  the  dispensation  under 
which  we  live. 


158  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

It  is  best,  I  think,  to  read  as  one  section  the 
promises  which  respond  to  these  desolations  of  the 
heart,  and  which  substitute  for  the  experiences 
of  separation  and  loneliness  .the  hope  of  another 
Comforter,  another  advent,  a  more  intimate  asso- 
ciation, and  a  more  elevating  manifestation. 

"  If  ye  love  me,  ye  will  keep  my  commandment.s.  And  I 
will  pray  the  Father,  and  he  shall  give  you  another  Com- 
forter, that  he  may  be  with  you  for  ever,  even  the  Spirit  of 
truth,  whom  the  world  cannot  receive ;  because  it  seeth  him 
not,  neither  knoweth  him ;  ye  know  him,  for  he  abideth 
with  you,  and  shall  be  in  you.  I  will  not  leave  you  deso- 
late ;  I  will  come  to  you.  Yet  a  little  while,  and  the  world 
beholdeth  me  no  more,  but  ye  behold  me  ;  because  I  live,  ye 
shall  live  also.  In  that  day  ye  shall  know  that  I  am  in  my 
Father,  and  ye  in  me,  and  I  in  you.  He  that  hath  my  com- 
mandments, and  keepeth  them,  he  it  is  that  loveth  me  ;  and 
he  that  loveth  me  .shall  be  loved  of  my  Father,  and  I  will 
love  him,  and  will  manifest  myself  to  him. 

"Judas  (not  Iscariot)  saith  unto  him,  Lord,  what  is 
come  to  pass  that  thou  wilt  manifest  thyself  to  us,  and  not 
luito  the  world?  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  him,  If  a 
man  love  me,  he  will  keep  my  word :  and  my  Father  will 
love  him,  and  we  will  come  unto  him,  and  make  our  abode 
with  him.  He  that  loveth  me  not  keepeth  not  my  words; 
and  the  word  which  ye  hear  is  not  mine,  but  the  Father's 
which  sent  me  "  (15-24). 

Before  the  promises  there  is  a  jjroviso.  It  is 
premised  that  there  is  a  state  of  lieart  and  a  cluir- 
acter  of  life  to  whicli  thev  belong.     As  the  works 


THE   PROMISE   OF   THE   TAKACLETE 


._     _,_ 159 


and  the  gifts  of  power  were  made  dependent  on 
faith  and  prayer,  so  the  experiences  now  foretold 
presuppose  the  life  of  love  and  dnty.     This  appro- 
priation is  laid  down  to  begin  with,  and  is  insisted 
on  more  largely  as  the  promises  unfold.     The  pref- 
erable reading,  "If  ye  love  Me,  ye  will  keep  my 
commandments,"  gives  the   future  instead  of  the 
imperative  of  the  Authorized  Version,  rather  de- 
scribing a  process  than  imposing  a  condition ;  but 
the  meaning  is  the  same;  namely,  that  these  are 
promises  which  belong  only  to  him  who  loves  and 
obeys      In  -If  ye  love  ^le  "  we  hear  a  confiding 
rather  than  a  doubtful  tone.    The  love  is  supposed, 
as  elsewhere  it  is  expressly  recognised  (xvi.  10- 
But  it  proves  trne  love  only  in  one  way,  "If  ye 
love  Me,  ye  will  keep  my  commandments";  and 
again     "He   that    hath    my   commandments    and 
keepeth  them,  he  it  is  that  loveth  Me."      There 
is  a  voice  of  divine  authority  in  the  phrase,  "  my 
commandments"  (tA?  evro\'a<,  rk<,  Ifxh^.  the  com- 
mandments which  are  mine).     They  claim  obedi- 
ence, but   the   obedience  of   love;    and   love  will 
render  it.      Love  is  the  spring  of  action,  and  is 
in  its   nature  free;    but  it  is  not  left  to  its  own 
impulses;  it  acknowledges  authority;  it  is  placed 
under  rule,  and  includes  the  element  of  obliga- 
tion     This  connexion  of  love  and  commandment 
dwelt  on  the  mind  of  the  Evangelist,  and  reap- 
pears  more  than  once  in   his   Epistle.      It  is  not 


160  THE    DISCOURSES  chap. 

according  to  the  tendencies  of  human  nature,  as 
we  all  know;  and  as  St.  Paul  lias  set  forth  in 
the  seventh  chapter  to  the  Romans  in  recording  his 
experience  of  the  law  and  its  effects.  It  is,  in  fact, 
distinctive  of  CJirisfiaji  duty  and  of  the  morality 
of  the  Crospel.  In  Christ  the  claims  of  authority 
and  the  affections  of  the  heart  agree  in  one.  Here, 
as  ever,  the  teaching  of  Jesus  fixes  our  minds 
on  the  practical  side  of  religion ;  on  the  doing 
what  we  know,  on  the  living  and  walking  by  his 
words.  In  this  present  teaching,  which  is,  in  its 
intention,  a  ministr}"  of  promise,  opening  out  the 
higher  blessings  of  the  state  of  grace.  He  still 
provides  that  it  shall  not  even  seem  to  be  dissoci- 
ated from  the  ministry  of  commandment.  How 
can  we  better  respond  to  it  than  in  the  words  of 
the  collect,  fitted  for  habitual  use  ?  asking  of  Him 
"  who  alone  can  order  the  unruly  wills  and  affec- 
tions of  sinful  men,"  that  He  will  "grant  to  his 
people  to  love  the  thing  which  He  commandeth, 
and  to  desire  that  which  He  doth  j)romise,  that  so, 
among  the  sundry  and  manifold  changes  of  the 
world,  our  hearts  may  surely  there  be  fixed  where 
true  joys  are  to  be  found." 


Now  we  enter  on  the  i)romises,  the  special  prom- 
ises whit'li  are  in  (Christ,  addressed,  as  we  have 
seen,  to  the  faith  which  believes  in  Him,  the  love 


VI  THE    rROMISEOF    THE    PARACLETE  U'.l 

which  adheres  to  Him,  the  obedience  which  keeps 
his  words ;  and  now  first  we  hear  the  promise, 
inclusive  of  the  rest,  and  distinctive  of  the  New 
Covenant  —  that  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Com- 
forter. 

Had  it  not  been  heard  before?  Never  as  it  is 
now.  Yet  was  it  the  first  announcement,  when 
Jesus  entered  on  the  scene  of  action,  ""  On  whom 
thou  slialt  see  tlie  Spirit,  descending  and  remain- 
ing on  Him,  the  same  is  He  which  baptiseth  with 
the  Holy  Ghost"  (i.  33).  On  Him  the  Spirit 
remained ;  but  that  He  baptised  with  the  Holy 
Ghost  does  not  appear,  at  least  by  any  phenomena 
which  made  it  evident,  or  by  any  consciousness 
of  it,  which  is  expressed  by  disciples.  If  we  ex- 
cept the  promise  that,  when  needful  for  their  testi- 
mony, the  Spirit  of  their  P'ather  will  speak  by  them ; 
and  the  statement  to  Nicodemus  that  the  new  birth 
is  "  of  the  Spirit "  ;  and  the  phrase,  "  your  Father, 
Avhich  is  in  lieaven,  shall  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
them  that  ask  Him,"  the  equivalent  in  St.  Luke 
(xi.  13);  for  "shall  give  good  things"  (Matt, 
vii.  1),  it  is  observable  that,  in  the  teaching  of 
Jesus  in  the  flesh,  the  doctrine  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
is  conspicuous  by  its  absence,  or,  if  present,  is 
veiled  in  parable  and  prediction.  For  this  marked 
reserve  concerning  it,  St.  John  has  given  the  rea- 
son, when  afterwards,  writing  in  the  dispensation 
of  the  Spirit,  he  interprets  the  words  concerning 


162  THE    DISCOURSES  chap. 

the  "living  water."  "This  spake  He  of  the  Spirit, 
wliich  they  that  believed  on  Him  were  to  receive ; 
for  the  Spirit  was  not  yet;  because  Jesus  was  not 
yet  glorified."  The  reason  given  for  the  reserve 
supplied  the  reason  for  terminating  it,  in  the  teach- 
ing which  now  expounds  the  situation  which  is  to 
follow  after  that  great  change  shall  have  occurred. 
Then,  it  is  said,  "  I  will  pray  the  Father,  and  He 
shall  give  you  another  Comforter,  that  He  may  be 
with  you  for  ever  —  the  Spirit  of  truth."  When 
the  work  on  earth  is  finished,  by  request  made  in 
the  glory  that  follows,  the  gift  is  to  be  obtained 
and  bestowed.  Three  expressions  are  used  here, 
"  I  will  ask  —  and  He  will  give  "  ;  again,  "  Whom 
the  Father  will  send  in  my  name  "  (vi.  26)  ;  and  yet 
again,  "  Whom  I  will  send  to  you  from  the  Father  " 
(xv.  26,  xvi.  7).  Thus  the  gift  is  ascribed  to  God 
in  Christ,  to  Christ  in  God,  while  the  personality 
attributed  to  Him  who  is  sent  involves  a  revela- 
tion of  the  Trinity. 

But  the  word  "  Paraclete  "  is  also  a  revelation  in 
respect  of  his  relations  with  the  spirit  and  life  of 
man.  In  form  it  describes  one  called  to  the  side 
of  another ;  in  intention  it  expresses  the  purpose 
for  which  he  is  come,  the  friendly  office  which  he' 
there  fulfils.  Many  are  the  emergencies  of  human 
life,  and  many  are  the  forms  of  help  which  they 
require,  and  all  are  included  in  this  great  compre- 
hensive name.     If  we  wish  to  distinguish,  we  may 


VI  THE    PROMISE   OF   THE   PARACLETE  1(53 

range  them  in  two  divisions,  the  advocacy  of  our 
cause  before  others,  the  support  of  companionship 
to  ourselves.  When  we  think  of  the  one  office, 
we  speak  of  an  advocate  ;  when  of  the  other,  of  a 
comforter.  But  the  same  person  will  fulfil  either 
office  as  need  requires ;  and  both  are  included  in 
the  word  "  Paraclete."  f  Therefore  the  choice  of  the 
English  equivalent  in  any  particular  case  may  be 
dictated  by  the  nature  of  the  occasion  and  the 
general  feeling  of  the  situation.  If  so,  the  Revis- 
ers have  done  well  in  retaining  the  old  rendering 
"  the  Comforter  "  in  the  four  passages  in  which 
"  Paraclete "  here  occurs,  as  they  were  plainly 
right  in  retaining  that  of  "Advocate  "  in  the  only 
other  passage  where  it  is  found  (1  John  ii.  1). 
The  situation  presented  in  the  Gospel  more  natu- 
rally suggests  the  first  rendering,  while  that  con- 
templated in  the  Epistle  certainly  prescribes  the 
second.  Here  "  another  Paraclete  "  is  promised 
in  tenderest  sympathy  with  the  actual  feelings  of 
the  men  now  about  to  lose  that  companionship 
of  their  Master  which  had  been  their  life,  their 
strength,  and  their  stay.  )  When  He  says  "  another 
Paraclete  "  He  takes  the  title  as  descriptive  of 
what  they  knew  He  had  been  to  them,  while  He 
had  gone  out  and  come  in  among  them.  That 
experience  interprets  the  meaning  of  the  promise. 
We  must  read  the  word  "  Comforter  "  in  its  true 
and  old  English  sense,  not  in  the  lower  and  feebler 


164  THE    DISCOURSES  chap. 

meaning  which  it  mostly  carries  now.*^  It  speaks 
of  strength,  support,  encouragement,  given  to  the 
life  of  thought  and  action,  still  more  than  of  con- 
solation in  trial  or  sorrow.  Yes  !  it  was  a  word  to 
cheer  and  strengthen  men  about  to  be  launched  on 
the  experiences  of  a  new  life,  of  an  arduous  work,  and 
of  conflict  with  a  hostile  world.  In  their  conscious 
weakness  and  dimness  of  mind  they  will  need  a 
fellowship  with  strength  and  light ;  and  they  shall 
have  it;  they  shall  not  be  left  alone.  The  old 
association  ends,  but  a  new  association  is  to  suc- 
ceed, one  habitual  and  permanent,  with  no  limit 
to  its  continuance,  in  that  respect  contrasted  with 
that  which  has  lasted  so  few  years  and  has  reached 
the  parting  hour.  The  promise  is  for  all  genera- 
tions of  believers  and  to  the  end  of  time  He  "  shall 
be  with  you  (ei?  rov  alSiva)  for  ever." 

Who,  then,  is  this  companion  of  the  future,  tliis 
eternal  Paraclete  ?  "  Even  the  Spirit  of  trutli.'' 
The  attribute  of  truth,  thus  chosen  to  characterise 
the  Spirit  and  the  Spirit's  work,  at  once  connects 
the   gift  with  the  deepest  needs  of  man  and  the 

1  Comfort  :  Fr.  couforter ;  ecclesiastical  Latin,  conforto 
(from  fortis  '  strong '),  properly  '  to  strengthen.' — Aldis  Wright's 
"Bible  Word  Book,"  pp.  146,  147.  Examples  are  given  from  the 
Old  Testament,  from  legal  documents  and  treaties,  from  Shake- 
speare and  Bacon,  and  two  curious  instances,  one  from  Wiclif, 
who  renders  (Is.  xli.  7),  "he  comfortcth  hym  with  nailes,  that 
it  sh'i  not  be  moved" — and  another  from  the  earlier  version 
which  gives  for  I'hil.  iv.  13,  "  I  may  alle  things  in  him  that  com- 
furtelh  mc." 


VI  THE   PROMISE    OF   THE   PARACLETE  165 

highest  purposes  of  God.  It  phices  the  history  to 
come  ill  line  with  that  which  is  past,  the  work  of 
the  Spirit  with  that  of  Jesus  in  the  flesh.  "  For 
this  end  (He  said),  was  I  born,  and  for  this  cause 
came  I  unto  the  Avorld,  that  I  might  bear  witness 
to  the  truth"  (xviii.  37).  It  corresponds  with  the 
Apostolic  calling  of  those  who  are  to  be  deposita- 
ries, witnesses,  and  preachers  of  the  truth  amid  the 
ignorance,  errors,  and  falsehoods  of  the  world. 
Their  testimony  now  will  not  be  the  mere  outcome 
of  their  personal  apprehensions ;  it  will  l)e  "  tlie 
Spirit  that  beareth  witness  because  the  Spirit  is 
the  truth  "  (1  John  v.  7) ;  and  He  is  so  in  a  fuller 
sense  than  the  truest  word  can  be.^  Thus  a  neces- 
sary adaptation  as  well  as  a  vast  resource  is  con- 
tained in  the  name  "the  vSpirit  of  truth." 

But  to  the  world  the  Spirit  is  unreal,  only  a 
metaphysical  expression,  or  a  poetic  fiction.  It 
"cannot  receive  Ilim,  because  it  beholdeth  Ilim 
not  "  in  the  visible  sense,  "  neither  knoweth  Him  " 
by  intellectual  process.  In  it  the  preparatory  ap- 
prehensions and  sympathetic  affinities  are  wanting. 
But  they  are  not  wanting  in  the  little  company 

1  "  L'enseignementdes  clioses  divines  par  le  moyen  de  la  parole 
ne  peut  jamais  nous  en  donner  qu'une  idee  confuse :  quelque 
habilement  que  soit  employe  ce  moyen  de  communication,  il  ne 
peut  produire  dans  Tame  de  I'auditeur  qu'une  image  de  la 
verite.  L'enseignement  de  T  Esprit,  an  contraire,  fait  penetret 
la  verity  dans  Tame :  il  lui  donne  ainsi  pleine  realit6  au  dedans 
de  nous,  et  eu  fait  pour  nous  la  verite  "  (Godct,  ii.  177). 


166  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

which  surrounds  the  person  of  Jesus.  Besides  the 
impression  made  by  his  words  nnd  works,  there 
was  an  indefinable  sense  of  the  Spirit  Avhich  abode 
upon  Ilim.  Therein  was  a  mystery  beyond  their 
knowledge.  The  human  nature  in  Christ,  not 
only  derived  from  conjunction  with  Deity  all  such 
perfections  as  it  was  itself  apt  to  receive,  but  from 
his  baptism  it  was  also  anointed  with  such  a 
superadded  gift  of  the  Spirit  as  was  proper  for  the 
purposes  of  his  manifestation.^  Hence  the  disci- 
ples had  felt  in  the  jjresence  of  their  Lord  the 
character  and  action  of  the  Spirit  that  was  in  Ilim, 
so  that  it  could  be  said  to  them,  "  Ye  know  Him, 
for  He  dwelleth  with  j^ou,"  or,  more  literally,  "is 
abiding  (Trapa)  beside  you." 

Now  it  is  added,  "  and  shall  be  in  you."  That  is 
a  great  advance.  The  same  Spirit  which  was  in 
Christ,  which  in  his  Deity  was  one  with  Him,  and 
in  his  humanity  rested  upon  Him,  was  in  the 
coming  time  to  be  in  them,  no  longer  only  telling 
on  them  as  an  influence  from  without,  l>ut,  as 
Paraclete,  dwelling  and  working  within,  in  asso- 
ciation with  their  own  spirit.  The  faith  in  this 
promise  and  the  experience  of  its  fulfilment 
breathe,  as  we  know,  through  all  the  apostolic 
writings,  making  them  a  continual  expression  of 
"the  communion  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 

Great  was  the  promise  ;  but  could  it  be  accepted 
1  Hooker,  B.  v.  ch.  54. 


VI  THI<:   PKOMISE    OF   THE   PARACLETE  107 

as  a  substitute  for  the  preseuce  and  fellowship  of 
the  Lord  Himself?  Never,  by  any  heart  that 
loved  Him.  That  would  mean  bereavement  and 
desolation.  Nor  is  it  an  exchange  which  his  own 
love  could  propose.  The  promise  is  not  of  a  sub- 
stitution which  excludes,  but  of  a  means  which 
secures,  his  presence.  "  I  Avill  not  leave  you  deso- 
late "  (^6p(f)avov<;,  orphans,  now  one  of  the  most 
touching  of  English  words).  "/  cojne  to  you.'''' 
Does  the  Spirit  of  Christ  enter  the  soul  ?  Then  it 
is  Christ  who  enters.  That  is  a  true  coming,  and 
a  real  communion. 

But  it  must  be  so  on  both  sides.  On  his  part  it 
is  pledged ;  but  how  will  it  be  on  theirs  ?  What 
will  be  their  consciousness,  their  perceptions,  their 
understanding  of  this  fact?  The  question  is  an- 
ticipated. Yes !  they  shall  see,  they  shall  know, 
they  shall  have  the  experience  of  manifestation 
and  the  sense  of  fellowship. 

It  is  true  He  must  disappear.  "  Yet  a  little 
while,  and  the  world  beholdeth  Me  no  more." 
(He  has  walked  in  the  sight  of  men,  and  has  been 
observed  with  superficial  wonder.  But  that  mani- 
festation has  reached  its  end.  That  kind  of  be- 
holding, the  only  kind  of  which  the  world  was 
capable,  can  be  no  more.)  "  But  ye  behold  Me  " 
(^ufiei<;  Se  Oecopelre  fie^.  They  have  already  another 
faculty  of  sight  which  will  grow  clearer  yet.  Still 
will  their   Master  remain  before  their  minds  as 


168  THE    DISCOITKSES  chap. 

the  great  object  of  faith,  and  fill  the  field  of  vision. 
To  the  world  lie  will  be  a  name  in  history  ;  to 
them,  a  living  presence,  and  one  from  which  their 
own  life  will  be  derived.  "  Because  I  live,  ye 
shall  live  also."  What  a  security  is  this  !  Wliat 
a  charter  to  hold  by  !  What  a  life  in  which  to 
partake !  Fully  were  these  brief  sentences  un- 
folded in  the  after-experience  of  the  Church. 
They  may  even  be  said  to  be  an  epitome  of  the 
Epistles.  There  the  believer  has  ever  in  full  view 
the  living  Lord,  and  finds  in  his  life  the  source 
and  supplies  of  his  own,  a  Christ  who  lives  in  him, 
in  whom  he  lives,  and  with  whom  he  shall  live 
for  ever. 

It  is  of  tlie  experience  of  that  time  that  Jesus  is 
speaking  here.  In  that  day  (the  day  when  He 
is  gone,  and  the  Spirit  given),  "in  that  day  ye 
shall  know  that  I  am  in  my  Father,  and  ye  in  INIe, 
and  I  in  you."  lie  had  said  before  to  Philip, 
"  Believest  thou  not  that  I  am  in  the  Father,  and 
the  Father  in  Me  ? "  for  that  truth  might  have 
been,  and  ought  to  have  been,  already  believed. 
But  the  knowledge  now  s[)()ken  of  belonged  only 
to  "  that  day,"  future  then,  but  present  soon  and 
now.  Then  was  consummated  the  scheme  for 
union  of  man  with  God,  through  Christ  in  heaven 
abiding  in  his  Fatlicr,  and  on  earth  abiding  in  his 
people,  as  they  also  in  II im.  Of  that  mutual  in- 
dwelling He  will  soon  speak  again  (xvi.  4-7);  but 


VI  THE   PEOMISE   OF   THE   PAEACLETE  169 

here  He  says  it  shall  be  known.  And  so  it  is ;  as 
we  oft  record  in  the  act  which  renews  and  seals 
this  union,  humbly  adopting  these  words  of  his, 
and  saying,  "  Then  we  dwell  in  Christ,  and  Christ 
in  us  ;  we  are  one  with  Christ,  and  Christ  with 
us." 

Having  thus  revealed  the  powers  of  spiritual 
life,  the  Lord  reverts  to  the  qualifications  for  it. 
He  had  begun  Avith,  "  If  ye  love  Me,  ye  will  keep 
my  commandments "  ;  He  ends  with,  "  He  that 
hath  my  commandments  and  keepeth  them,  he  it 
is  that  loveth  Me."  The  great  promise  is  enclosed 
between  these  two  sayings,  the  first  presenting 
love  as  the  spring  of  obedience;  the  second,  obe- 
dience as  the  proof  of  love.  So  carefully  has  He 
marked  the  appropriation  of  the  gift  to  those  only 
who  are  capable  of  receiving  it. 

Love,  true  practical  love,  constitutes  the  qualifi- 
cation ;  but  it  is  more  than  a  qualification.  We 
must  regard  it  in  its  atmosphere  of  happiness 
created  by  divine  reciprocit}",  "  He  that  loveth  Me 
shatl  be  loved  of  m}^  Father,  and  I  will  love  him, 
and  will  manifest  M3^self  to  him."  The  assertion 
is  that,  where  such  love  to  Christ  exists,  there  a 
greater  love  is  in  action  on  the  other  side,  the  love 
of  the  Father  to  one  who  loves  the  Son,  and  the 
love  of  the  Son  as  Friend  and  Saviour,  making 
the  confidences  and  discoveries  which  are  proper 
to   the   nature   of   love    («al  efi^aviaoy   auroi   kfiav- 


170  THE   DISCOURSES 


top').     "I   will  manifest  Myself  to  him,"  disclose 
to  him  what  I  am  myself  and  ^vhat  I  am  to  him.^ 


Here  the  subject  has  been  brought  to  a  close, 

and   the    consoling   promise    is    completed.      But 

there  is  an  anxiety  in  the  minds  of  the  disciples 

which  the  words  have  not  met,  nay,  which  tliey 

seem  to  set  aside.     One  Avho,  we  may  suppose,  felt 

it  most,  Judas  (not  the  Iscariot  who  had  gone  out 

into  the  night)  Thaddeus,  takes  occasion  from  the 

last    word    to    utter    the    thought    of    his    heart. 

"Lord,"  he  says,  "what  is  come  to  pass  that  to 

us  Thou  art  about  to  manifest  Thyself  and  not 

unto  the  world?"    All  that  has  been  said  has  been 

of  an  interior  revelation  to  themselves ;  but  what 

then  of  public  discovery  and  manifestation  to  the 

Avorld  ?     Shall  not  the  unbelieving  world  be  made 

to  own  the  truth  of  the   Lord's  mission,  and   to 

acknowledge  his  rights   and   glory?     The  words 

have    even  seemed  to   disallow  that  hope.      The 

Paraclete  will  come  to  them,  but  the  world  will 

not  know  Him ;  their  Lord  will  be  seen  by  them, 

but  the  world  will  not  behold  Ilim ;  He  will  mani-. 

fest  Himself,  but  only  to  those  who  love   Him. 

^  The  verb  ifi^avl^bj  is  not  the  ordinary  and  frequent  woi'd 
wliich  is  rendered  by  "manifest."  It  is  used  five  times  in  the 
Acts  (xxii.  15  ;  xxiii.  22  ;  xxiv.  1  ;  xxv.  2  and  15)  of  disclos- 
ures made  or  information  i^iven  ;  also  in  the  passive  voice,  of 
special  "appearings"  (Matt,  xxvii.  53;  Heb.  xxiv.). 


THE   PROMISE   OF   THE   PARACLETE  171 


What  lias  happened  (ji  y^yovev;)  to  change  the 
expected  course  of  things?     It  was  a  natural  ques- 
tion.    False  and  true  Messianic  hopes  were  min- 
gled in  the  hearts  of  the  disciples,  and  the  end 
to  which  they  had  thought  they  were  approaching 
seemed   now   to   be   vanishing   from   their   sight. 
There  was  a  tone   of   the  false  idea  and  of  the 
very  spirit  of  the  world  in  the  anxious  question  of 
Judas.     The  same  spirit  had  spoken  more  plainly 
in  the  brethren  of  the  Lord  (vii.  3,  4),  "  If  Thou 
do  these  things,  shew  Thyself  to  the  world."     We 
understand   these  feelings;   they  are  common  to 
man ;  never  more  so  than  now.     "  Shetv  Thysdf  to 
the  ivorliV  may  stand  as  the  motto  of  our  time. 
The    world,    the    multitude,    numbers,    a   "great 
work,"    a    theatre    of    action,    popular    applause, 
acknowledged  success,  publicity,  advertisement  of 
self  and  proclamation  on  the  housetops,  —  these 
are  reigning  ideas;   they  infect  religion  and  the 
Church;  they  alloy  the  motives,  and  deteriorate 
the  character  of  Christian  service;  and  they  im- 
pair the  interest  in  that  interior  life  to  which  the 
preceding  promises  belong.     The  prevalent  Mes- 
sianic idea  was  instinct  with  this  worldly  spirit, 
and  it  had  not  yet  been  wholly  banished  from  the 
hearts  of  the  disciples.     There  was  indeed  to  be 
a  manifestation  and  conquest  and  success,  but  not 
of  the  kind  they  dreamed  of.     It  was  not  now  the 
time  to  explain,  and  the  present  teaching  was  in 


172  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

another  region  of  thought.  "Jesus  answered  and 
said  unto  liim,  If  a  man  love  Me,  he  will  keep  my 
word,  and  my  Father  will  love  him,  and  We  will 
come  unto  him  and  make  our  abode  with  him. 
He  that  loveth  Me  not  keepeth  not  my  words." 
Was  this  an  answer  ?  Yes,  in  the  truest  sense : 
an  implied  answer  to  the  question ;  a  direct  answer 
to  the  feeling  which  it  betrayed ;  calling  back  the 
mind  from  a  side  issue  and  a  misleading  line  of 
thought,  and  giving  to  the  truth,  which  seemed 
to  have  been  slighted,  a  fresh  confirmation  and 
more  touching  form.  It  is  a  truth  not  for  the 
world,  but  for  the  man ;  for  him  who  "  keeps  the 
word  of  Christ "  (not  the  words,  but  the  ivord  as  a 
whole),  and  it  contemplates  not  a  public  discovery 
of  power,  but  a  sort  of  domestic  visitation  of  love. 
The  language  combines  a  homely  tone  with  its 
grand  and  gracious  meaning.  "We  will  come 
unto  him."  Who  is  this  that,  uniting  Himself 
with  the  Eternal,  speaks  of  what  "  We  will "  do  ? 
And  who  are  these  Ouests  who  come  to  a  poor 
man's  door  (and  all  are  poor  before  Them),  and 
come  to  enter  in,  and  that  not  to  visit,  but  to 
stay?  "We  will  make  our  abode  with  him" 
(^fjiovrjv  nvap  avru)  iroLrjaofiev).  The  same  word  is 
employed  which  had  been  used  before  of  the  abid- 
ing-places, or  "mansions,"  in  tlie  Father's  house. 
It  describes  a  settled  habit  and  habitation,  and 
breathes    of    the    atmosphere    of   home.      By   him 


VI  THE   rilOMlSE   UF   THE   PARACLETE  173 

wlio  "  kept  the  word,"  the  promise  was  felt  as  ful- 
filled. Lonsf  afterwards  St.  John  wrote  to  "the 
elect  lady,"  "  lie  that  abideth  in  the  doctrine,  he 
hath  both  the  Father  and  the  Son"  (2  John  9). 

A  concluding  word  glances  at  the  opposite  case, 
"  lie  that  loveth  Me  not  keepeth  not  my  words." 
So  the  world  is  excluded,  and  the  hearer  warned. 
To  all  is  added  the  seal  of  the  oft-repeated  affirma- 
tion, "  And  the  word  which  ye  hear  is  not  mine, 
but  the  Father's  which  sent  Me." 


174  THE   DISCOURSES 


CHAPTER   VII 

PROMISE   OF   TEACHING 

V.  25,  26 

"  The  word  which  ye  hear  is  not  mine,  but  the 
Father's  which  sent  Me."  Has  that  word  reached 
its  end,  and  is  his  teaching  now  to  cease  ?  It 
woukl  seem  so,  since  tliese  are  the  last  hours  of 
intercourse,  and  He  is  going  where  his  disciples 
cannot  come.  Had  He  then  said  all  that  He  had 
to  say?  was  his  teaching  then  complete?  Was 
the  word  delivered  in  the  days  of  his  flesh  the 
whole  word  that  was  really  his  ?  That  would  be 
a  great  question  for  the  Church  afterwards ;  it 
was  a  great  question  for  the  disciples  then.  To 
them  He  had  been  the  Teacher  (o  StSao-AraXo?); 
that  was  the  relation  in  which  they  had  known 
Him.  And  they  had  been  his  disciples  indeed; 
his  words  had  entered  into  their  souls.  "  To 
whom,"  they  said,  "sliall  we  go?  Thou  hast 
words  of  eternal  life."  Yet  had  they  apprehended 
those  words  imperfectly ;  and  their  education  was 
still  in  an  early  stage.  Much  that  they  had  heard 
was   in   their   minds    undefined    and    incoherent. 


VII  PROMISE   OF   TEACHING  175 

rather  the  materials  than  the  forms  of  thought, 
and  much  woukl  even  pass  from  remembrance,  if 
not  fixed  by  a  more  clear  intelligence.  The  defect 
of  that  intelligence  had  been  shown  by  their  ques- 
tions at  this  very  time ;  and  the  great  words  of 
revelation  to  which  they  had  been  listening  must 
have  made  them  feel  more  deeply  than  ever  the 
need  of  further  teaching.  The  assurance  that 
they  were  to  have  it  is  an  essential  point  in  this 
discourse  of  consolation. 

"  These  things  have  I  spoken  unto  you,  while  yet  abiding 
with  you.  But  the  Comforter,  even  the  Holy  Spirit,  w^honi 
the  Father  will  send  in  my  name,  he  shall  teach  you  all 
things,  and  bring  to  your  remembrance  all  that  I  have  said 
unto  you"  (25,  26). 

This  declaration  is  explicit.  The  teaching  which 
Jesus  came  to  give  was  not  yet  completed,  and 
was  not  to  end  with  his  sojourn  upon  earth.  By 
"  these  things  I  have  spoken  to  you,"  He  intends 
all  the  lessons  of  the  past ;  and  by  "  while  abiding 
with  you "  {'Trap'  u/xlv  fiivojv')  He  implies  that  this 
abiding  will  be  no  more.  But  the  teaching  is  not 
over ;  it  will  be  continued  by  the  Paraclete,  who  is  to 
be  sent  in  "  his  name,"  as  his  representative,  to  carry 
on  his  lessons,  and  to  recall  and  interpret  his 
words.  Also,  as  has  been  said,  the  SjDirit  is  the 
same,  who  in  the  person,  words,  and  works  of  Jesus 
has  been  already  present  in  the  earlier  stage  of 
teaching.     Now  He  is  described  b}^  the  name  which 


176  THE    DISCOURSES  chap. 

the  Church  adopts  and  celebrates  for  ever,  "the 
Holy  Spirit,"  or  (shall  we  say  ?)  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Why  break  the  living  threads  of  language  which 
connect  our  faith  with  that  of  our  own  forefathers  ? 
If  scholars  read,  "  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Advocate," 
let  the  people  still  say,  "the  Holy  Ghost,  the 
Comforter."  It  is  no  mere  power  or  influence 
which  is  expressed  in  that  name ;  and  in  this  place 
the  personality  of  the  Spirit  is  emphasised  when 
the  neutral  form  of  the  word  Trvev/na  changes,  in 
the  pronoun  "  He  "  (e/ceti^o?),  into  masculine  form 
and  personal  sense.  But  that  is  only  noticeable  as 
being  the  expression  of  a  truth  implied  through- 
out. So  Stier  has  said.  "  Is  not  the  personal, 
official  name,  in  equality  with  the  person  of  Jesus, 
in  itself  decisive  ?  He  who  can  regard  all  the  there- 
with connected  personal  expressions  (of  teaching, 
reminding,  testifying,  coming,  convincing,  guiding, 
speaking,  hearing,  prophesying,  taking)  in  these 
three  chapters  as  being  no  other  than  a  long-drawn- 
out  figure,  deserves  not  to  be  recognised  even  as 
an  interpreter  of  intelligible  words,  much  less  an 
expounder  of  Holy  Scripture."  This  clear  enun- 
ciation of  the  doctrine  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  respect 
of  nature  and  office  is  one  chief  feature  which 
marks  the  central  character  of  all  this  teaching; 
for  the  revelation  itself  is  central,  both  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  Gospel  and  as  an  article  of  the  Creed, 
standintjc    in   the  latter  as  well   as  in   the   former 


VII  PROMISE   OF   TEACHING  177 

between  the  manifestation  of  Christ  on  the  one 
.side,  and  the  life  of  the  Church  on  the  other. 

The  office  of  teacher,  here  (and  afterwards) 
assigned  to  the  Spirit,  is  part  of  his  office  of  Com- 
forter. To  the  awakened  mind,  to  tlie  anxious 
soul,  comfort,  in  its  true  sense,  can  only  come 
through  teaching.  It  is  the  truth  alone  which 
will  satisfy ;  it  is  the  word  which  must  strengthen, 
gladden,  and  support.  The  promise  here  describes 
this  teaching  (1)  in  its  general  character,  (2)  in 
its  special  method  (^Si8d^€L  koX  viro/xv/jaei}. 

It  is  a  general  promise,  and  a  large  one.  "  He 
shall  teach  you  all  things  " ;  all  that  is,  for  which 
divine  teaching  is  needed,  "  all  that  is  to  be  known 
for  salvation  and  life  eternal  "  (Stier),or,  as  is  after- 
wards more  distinctly  expressed,  all  the  truth  (xvi. 
13).  It  was  a  needful  promise  to  those  who  were 
themselves  to  be  teachers  of  the  world.  The  sub- 
jects of  this  teaching  will  appear  more  particularly 
in  the  next  discourse.  In  this,  for  the  purpose  of 
consolation  and  assurance,  the  general  promise  is 
sufficient. 

But  this  future  teaching  is  not  to  be  severed 
from  that  which  preceded  it.  It  is  the  continua- 
tion of  the  personal  teaching  of  Jesus  ;  and  its 
first  office  is  to  recall,  perpetuate,  and  interpret 
the  words  of  his  lips :  "  He  shall  teach  you  all 
things  and  bring  to  your  rememlmmcc  all  that  I 
have  said  unto  you."'     The  things  that  Jesus  said 

M 


178  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

are  for  ever  the  firm  grounds  of  our  faith,  and  the 
germinant  principles  of  Christian  thought,  and 
there  is  nothing  developed  in  the  second  stage  of 
divine  teaching  which  has  not  its  root  and  sub- 
stance in  the  first.  Every  doctrine  expanded  in 
the  Epistles  roots  itself  in  some  pregnant  saying 
in  the  Gospels ;  and  the  original  intimation  of  every 
truth  opened  by  the  Spirit  to  the  Apostles  came  to 
them  first  from  the  lips  of  the  Son  of  Man.  The 
later  revelation  may  enlarge  the  earlier,  may  dis- 
cover its  fulness,  or  define  its  applications  ;  but  the 
earlier  revelation  stands  behind  it  still,  and  we  owe 
our  first  knowledge  of  every  part  of  the  Gospel  to 
those  communications  in  which  the  salvation  "  be- 
gan to  be  spoken  by  the  Lord"  (Heb.  ii.  3).  We 
can  observe  this  fact  for  ourselves  by  comj)arative 
study  of  these  sacred  writings.  It  rests  on  the 
fulfilment  of  the  promise,  "  He  shall  bring  to  your 
remembrance  all  things  that  I  said  to  you." 

Since,  then,  it  was  through  these  men  that  Jesus 
would  teach  the  world  for  ever,  if  any  graces  were 
bestowed  upon  them  at  all,  this  grace  of  special 
remembrance  would  be  the  most  important  for  them 
to  receive,  seeing  it  was  needed  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  foundations  of  the  faith.  No  wonder 
it  is  thus  definitely  promised  in  the  first  account  of 
the  work  of  the  Spirit.  Such  a  grace  of  remem- 
brance would  have  two  consequences,  —  one  the 
adequate  report  and  perpetuation  of  the  words  of 


vir  PROMISE   OF   TEACHING  179 

Christ,  the  other  the  growing  apprehension  of 
their  significcince  through  continued  presence  in 
the  mind  under  this  heavenly  guidance. 

As  to  the  first,  we  may  adopt  the  words  of  Afford 
in  his  note  on  the  passage  :  "  It  is  on  the  fulfilment 
of  this  promise  to  the  Apostles  that  their  sufficiency 
as  witnesses  of  all  that  the  Lord  did  and  taught, 
and  consequently  the  authenticity  of  the  Gospel 
narrative  is  grounded."  This  adequacy  or  suffi- 
ciency of  report  does  not,  I  think,  exclude  such 
variations  of  remembrance  as  belong  to  the  nature 
of  human  memory,  variations  which  might  well 
be  used,  under  this  spiritual  guidance,  for  the  more 
complete  rendering  of  the  whole  report.  But  it 
does  exclude  such  variations  as  would  be  divergent 
from  the  intention  of  the  Speaker,  and  would  fail 
to  render  the  real  meaning  of  his  words ;  since 
his  own  Spirit,  presiding  over  the  remembrance, 
would  secure  the  true  expression  of  his  mind. 
There  is  no  small  importance  in  this  considera- 
tion, in  its  bearing  on  differences  of  verbal  report, 
which  no  doubt  existed  in  the  oral  teaching,  as 
they  do  in  the  written  records.  It  must  certainly 
have  the  effect  of  making  the  questions  that  may 
thus  arise  of  minor  consequence,  since  it  adds  the 
security  of  divine  superintendence  to  that  of 
responsible  recollection. 

It  need  scarcely  be  said  that  a  natural  effect  of 
the  vivid  remembrance  of  things  is  a  clearer  Intel- 


180  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

ligence  in  regard  to  them,  and  a  more  certain  esti- 
mate of  their  character  and  importance.  In  our 
common  experience  nothing  is  better  known  to  us 
than  this.  Indeed,  how  many  —  how  very  many  — 
things  are  only  understood  in  remembrance !  We 
see  them  after  they  are  over,  free  from  the  confus- 
ing circumstances  and  disordered  feelings  of  the 
moment ;  we  consider  them  with  more  thoughtful 
reflection  and  more  impartial  judgment;  we  con- 
template them  from  a  distance  which  enables  us  to 
see  them  as  a  whole,  and  in  their  relations  to  other 
things  which  go  far  to  explain  them ;  and  this  is 
more  true  and  more  observable  in  proportion  to 
the  greater  gravity  or  deeper  significance  of  the 
things  remembered. 

Never  certainly  did  any  acts  or  words  so  evi- 
dently await  this  subsequent  illumination  as  those 
which  were  seen  and  heard  by  the  followers  of 
Jesus  during  the  brief  period  in  which  He  was 
with  them.  Often  did  He  rebuke  their  dulness  of 
apprehension  and  mistakes  about  his  sayings  at  the 
time.  Sometimes  He  told  them,  as  repeated  in 
these  very  discourses,  that  they  would  find  the 
profit  of  his  words  in  the  future,  —  "I  have  told 
you  before  it  come  to  pass  that  when  it  is  come  to 
pass  ye  may  believe  "  (v.  29,  and  xiii.  19,  and  xvi. 
4).  Always  we  feel  that  the  hearers  are  but  begin- 
ning to  understand,  and  they  often  record  their  own 
failure   of   intelligence.      "  They    understood    not 


VII  PROMISE   OF   TEACHING  181 

that  saying  —  they  knew  not  the  things  which 
were  spoken  " ;  and  sometimes  with  definite  refer- 
ence to  their  later  knowledge,  "  When  He  was  risen 
from  the  dead,  his  disciples  remembered  that  He 
spake  this,  and  they  believed  the  Scripture  and 
the  word  which  Jesus  said "  (ii.  22)  ;  or,  again, 
"  These  things  understood  not  his  disciples  at  the 
first,  but  when  Jesus  was  glorified,  then  remem- 
bered they  that  these  things  were  written  of  Him, 
and  that  they  had  done  these  things  unto  Him  " 
(xii.  16). 

There  were  many  causes  which  adjourned  to  a 
time  of  remembrance  the  full  apprehension  of  his 
words.  Such  were  their  frequent  predictive  and 
parabolic  character,  their  largeness  and  elasticity 
of  meaning,  their  far-reaching  intention,  their  rela- 
tion to  a  course  of  things  which  was  still  in  prog- 
ress, to  events  which  had  not  yet  taken  place,  to  a 
dispensation  which  was  only  being  prepared.  He 
is  ever  addressing  men  accustomed  to  another 
habit  of  thought  than  that  into  which  He  is  lead- 
ing them,  and  in  a  preparatory  stage  of  their  edu- 
cation. Hence  there  is  often  a  mingled  tone  of 
revelation  and  reserve  in  utterances  which  are 
addressed  to  the  moment,  while  they  teach  the 
Church  for  ever.     It  has  been  well  said :  — 

"  When  we  look  into  our  Saviour's  conduct  in  the  days  of 
his  flesh,  we  find  that  lie  purposely  concealed  that  knowledge, 
which  yet  He  gave ;  as  if  intending  it  should  be  enjoyed,  but 


182  THE    DISCOURSES  chap. 

not  at  once ;  as  if  his  words  were  to  stand,  but  to  wait  awhile 
for  their  interpretation ;  as  if  reserving  them  for  his  coming, 
who  at  once  was  to  bring  Christ  and  his  works  into  the 
light.  .  .  .  Apparently  it  was  not  till  after  his  resurrection, 
and  especially  after  his  ascension,  when  the  Holy  Ghost 
descended,  that  the  Apostles  understood  who  had  been  with 
them.  Now  here  we  see,  I  think,  the  trace  of  a  general  prin- 
ciple, which  comes  before  us  again  and  again,  both  in  Scrip- 
ture and  in  the  world,  that  God's  presence  is  not  discerned  at 
the  time  when  it  is  xxpon  us,  but  afterwards,  when  we  look 
back  upon  what  is  gone  and  over.  Our  Saviour's  history 
will  supply  instances  in  evidence  of  this  remarkable  law."  ^ 

Yes,  it  supplies  the  most  perfect  instances  we 
can  imagine ;  and  if  so  great  a  part  in  the  com- 
prehension of  the  Gospel  history  necessarily  be- 
longed to  the  stage  of  remembrance,  it  would  seem 
that  such  a  promise  as  we  read  here,  even  if  it  had 
not  been  spoken,  must  be  included  in  the  scheme 
of  divine  teaching.  For  if  the  words  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  are  words  of  eternal  life,  and  are  to  the 
Church  both  primary  foundations  of  faith  and 
germinant  principles  of  thought,  and  if,  in  the 
nature  of  the  case,  they  could  only  be  under- 
stood in  remembrance,  then  the  first  work  of  the 
Spirit  would  necessarily  be  to  secure  that  remem- 
brance and  assist  that  understanding.  If  there 
was  any  grace  or  superadded  aid  at  all  given  to  the 

1  J.  II.  Newman's  "  I'arochial  Sermons,"  —  "Christ  mani- 
fested in  remembrance."  The  sermon  is  a  line  example  of  the 
writer's  cast  of  thought  and  of  expression. 


VII  PROMISE   OF   TEACHING  183 

Apostles,  as  witnesses  to  Clirist,  this  would  be 
the  first  that  they  would  need  and,  therefore, 
might  expect  to  receive ;  and  now  we  hear  it 
assured  to  them  by  as  plain  a  promise  as  could 
be  given.  In  virtue  of  this  promise  we  read,  with 
secure  confidence,  in  the  Gospels  the  words  of  our 
Lord,  and  in  the  Acts  and  Epistles  the  expansions 
of  them  and  deductions  from  them.  They  receive 
a  seal  and  certificate  beyond  those  of  human  mem- 
ory and  human  reflection  in  the  presence  of  the 
Spirit  of  truth,  manifested,  indeed,  in  many  ways, 
but  here  first  pledged  by  the  lips  of  Him  who 
gives  both  the  Word  and  the  Spirit.  "  lie  shall 
teach  you  all  things  and  bring  all  things  to  your 
remembrance,  whatsoever  I  have  said  to  you." 


184  THE   DISCOURSES 


CHAPTER   VIII 

THE   BENEDICTION    OF   PEACE 

V.  27 

The  discourse  of  consolation  draws  to  its  end. 
It  has  been  a  revelation  first  to  faitli,  then  to  hope. 
Its  first  part,  "  Believe  also  in  ]\Ie,"  has  led  on  to 
a  fuller  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ  Himself.  Its 
second,  "He  shall  give  you  another  Comforter," 
has  opened  out  into  a  new  prosjject  of  life  in  the 
Spirit.  These  discoveries  are  sources  of  consola- 
tion, no  doubt  vaguely  felt  at  the  moment,  but  to 
be  consciously  experienced  afterwards.  Such  a 
discourse  is  fitly  closed  by  a  benediction  of  peace. 

"  Peace  I  leave  with  you :  my  peace  I  give  unto  you. 
Not  as  tlie  world  giveth  give  I  unto  you. 
Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled,  neither  let  it  be  fearful." 

Peace  is  tlic  equivalent  for  the  old  Hebrew  word- 
DlT^^i  which  was  used  so  constantly,  and  meant 
so  much.  It  summed  up  the  ideas  of  inward  and 
outward  good,  and  might  in  any  particular  case 
have  a  more  loose  or  more  definite  meaning, 
according  to  the  mind  of  him  who  used  it.     "  Peace 


VIII  THE   BENEDICTION   OF   PEACE  185 

be  with  you "  was  a  familiar  salutation ;  "  Go  in 
peace,"  a  gracious  dismissal.  So  Jesus  spake  as 
others  spake.  "  He  came  and  stood  in  the  midst, 
and  said  to  them,  Peace  be  unto  you"  (xx.  19). 
He  said  to  those  on  whom  He  had  shewed  com- 
passion (^vTraye  —  iropetov  eU  elp/jvrjv,  Mark  v.  34, 
Luke  vii.  50),  —  "  Go  into  peace,"  as  not  only  the 
feeling  of  the  moment,  but  the  state  ensuing. 
Thus  it  was  both  a  word  of  greeting  and  one  of 
farewell.  Here  it  is  the  latter,  spoken  as  in  act  of 
departure.  "  Peace,"  He  says,  "  I  leave  to  you  " 
{d(f)Lr]fii,  the  same  word  as  used  before,  "•  I  will  not 
leave  you  desolate  ").  Tluis  He  speaks  of  this  con- 
dition as  an  inheritance  for  those  who  are  left. 
But  the  expression,  by  itself,  is  too  indefinite  for 
the  present  intention.  What  peace,  and  how  be- 
stowed? Both  points  shall  be  made  clear;  for  in 
Christ  things  are  specific  and  ascertained,  and  not 
left  as  they  appear  in  the  hazy  atmosphere  of 
general  good  wishes. 

"  Peace  I  leave  with  you  :  my  peace  I  give  unto 
you"  (elprjviiv  ri]v  efiijv  —  peace  that  is  mine),  that 
which  I  possess,  which  is  realised  in  Me,  and 
which  is  proper  to  the  life  that  is  in  Me.  We  see 
at  once  that  the  peace  intended  is  peace  within ; 
for  outward  peace  was  not  the  portion  of  Him 
who  was  "  a  man  of  sorrows,"  and  bore  "  the  con- 
tradiction of  sinners  against  Himself,"  and  for 
Whom  at  that  moment  the   terrible  crisis  was  at 


186  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

hand.  Yet  all  the  more,  as  lie  moves  through 
trial  and  conflict,  do  we  feel  the  serene  majesty  of 
a  deep-seated  peace.  The  enemy  cannot  trouble 
it ;  the  world  cannot  disturb  it ;  for  it  consists  in 
the  composure  of  holy  affections,  the  calmness  of 
a  settled  purpose,  and  the  sunshine  of  unclouded 
union  with  God.  The  peace  which  lie  imparts 
He  calls  "  my  peace,"  because  it  is  to  be  an  efflu- 
ence from  his  own,  and  therefore  will  sliare  its 
nature  and  bear  its  likeness. 

Again,  as  the  peace  is  thus  distinguished,  so 
also  is  the  giving.  "  My  peace  I  give  unto  you ; 
not  as  the  world  giveth,  give  I  unto  you."  The 
world  is  free  with  its  conventional  wishes,  and 
those  not  always  sincere.  Certainly  its  own  sj)irit 
is  not  the  spirit  of  true  peace ;  and  it  cannot  give 
what  it  does  not  possess.  At  its  best,  its  well- 
meant  Avords  are  ineffectual,  either  to  confer  a 
right  to  peace,  or  to  communicate  the  peace  itself. 
But  Jesus  does  both.  The  right  to  peace,  which 
did  not  belong  to  men  as  sinners,  He  purchases 
for  them  by  his  atoning  blood,  and  now  by  this 
deed  of  gift  leaves  it  to  them  as  a  bequest  for  ever. 
The  peace  itself,  as  profession  and  experience.  He 
imparts  to  his  people  by  continuous  gift^  carried 
on  to  the  end  of  time.  Thus  definitely  are  dis- 
tinguished these  two  sentences,  "  Peace  I  leave 
with  you,"  —  "My  peace  I  give  unto  you,"  crowned 
with  the  assurance  to  which  our  hearts  respond, 
"  Not  as  the  world  giveth,  give  I  unto  you." 


viii  THE   BENEDICTION   OF   PEACE  187 

Great  has  been  the  effect  of  this  word  of 
promise,  as  teaching,  as  well  as  in  fulfilraent.  It 
has  established  the  word  "  Peace "  in  the  heart 
of  the  Church  as  expressing  the  ideal  character  of 
Christian  happiness  and  the  rightful  condition 
of  believers.  "  Grace  and  peace  "  become  keynotes 
of  the  Apostolic  teaching,  and  are  for  ever  united 
in  all  prayer  and  benediction.  Peace  represents 
a  restful,  satisfying  state,  an  essential  condition 
for  more  exalted  experiences,  being  itself  of  more 
solid  value  than  them  all.  If  it  be  asked  in  what 
it  consists,  we  may  perhaps  rightly  distinguish  its 
constituent  parts,  as  the  peace  of  conscience,  the 
peace  of  character,  and  the  peace  of  trust.  There 
is  peace  in  a  conscience,  relieved  from  guilt, 
reconciled  to  God,  and  restored  to  its  rightful 
supremacy.  There  is  peace  in  a  character  brought 
into  order  and  harmony,  in  which  the  disquieting 
power  of  worldly  and  carnal  lusts,  of  pride,  of 
selfishness,  of  evil  tempers  and  unworthy  feelings, 
has  given  place  to  the  reign  of  nobler  principles 
and  purer  affections.  Finally,  there  is  peace  in 
that  trust  and  confidence  in  God,  which  casts  all 
care  upon  llim,  simply  relies  upon  his  promises, 
leaves  all  things  in  his  hand,  and  is  sure  that  He 
does  all  things  well.  If  these  be  elements  of 
peace,  each  one  of  them  is  the  gift  of  Christ ;  for 
from  Ilim  they  all  proceed,  and  in  Ilim  are 
found . 


188  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

They  can  best  analyse  this  peace,  who  find  it  in 
themselves,  and  know  from  experience  wherein  it 
consists ;  and  these  are  not  few :  for  no  promise 
has  been  more  extensively  or  distinctly  fulfilled. 
This  peace  is  the  proper  heritage  of  those  who  are 
in  Christ,  and  is  a  natural  effect  of  the  faith  which 
unites  them, to  Him.  The  presence  of  it  is  often 
felt  and  recognised  by  others  at  their  side,  who 
will  express  their  own  desire  for  a  blessing  which 
they  see  to  be  real,  though  strangers  to  it  them- 
selves. It  is  enjoyed  in  different  measures  by 
different  minds,  and  by  the  same  mind  in  varying 
degrees ;  often  in  the  highest  degree  in  circum- 
stances which  naturally  would  impair  or  destroy 
it.  In  biographies  which  disclose  something  of 
the  inward  history,  we  read  from  time  to  time  tlie 
thankful  record  of  an  unusual  sense  of  peace,  at 
some  time  when  it  was  likely  that  the  mind 
would  be  harassed  with  anxieties,  or  the  spirit 
overwhelmed  by  some  dreaded  trial.  The  voice 
which  spake  in  the  upper  room  still  speaks 
within:  "My  peace  I  give  unto  you  ;  let  not  your 
heart  be  troubled,  neither  let  it  be  afraid." 

The  last  word  (^BeiXiaTO))  is  an  admonition  of 
no  small  importance,  both  to  those  who  heard  it 
then,  and  to  us  who  read  it  now.  It  expresses 
the  worst  effect  of  the  troubling  of  the  heart,  not 
the  natural  emotion  of  fear,  but  the  cowardly 
yielding    to    it.       It    is    the    craven    spirit    whicli 


VIII  THE   BENEDICTION    OF   PEACE  189 

shrinks  froiii  duty,  loses  hope,  abandons  what  it 
should  hold  fast,  surrenders  to  the  eneni}^,  or 
deserts  to  his  side.  "  Fear,"  says  the  Book  of 
Wisdom,  "is  nothing  else  but  a  betraying-  of  the 
succours  whicli  reason  offereth "  (xii.  17) ;  and 
the  fear  here  spoken  of  is  notliing  else  but  a  be- 
traying of  the  succours  which  are  offered  by  grace. 
Only  in  this  place  in  the  New  Testament  does  the 
verb  occur ;  but  the  substantive  (SetXm)  is  used  by 
St.  Paul  in  his  farewell  charge  to  Timothy :  "  God 
hath  not  given  us  the  spirit  of  fearfulness,  but  of 
power"  (2  Tim.  i.  7);  and  in  the  Apocalypse  the 
adjective  (SeiXot)  designates  those  who  head  the 
sad  procession  of  the  lost  (xxi.  8).  The  adjective 
describes  a  character,  but  the  verb  only  a  condition, 
which,  as  in  St.  Peter's  case,  may  be  passing,  but 
is  sin  at  the  time,  and  danger  for  the  future. 

Observing  that  the  opening  sentence  of  the  dis- 
course ("  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled  ")  is  here 
repeated  and  fortified,  we  understand  that  all  en- 
closed within  these  limits  is  to  be  taken  as  a  whole 
in  itself,  and  that  the  intervening  words  compose  a 
divine  antidote  to  tliat  troubling  and  desolation  of 
heart  which  the  Lord's  departure  would  suggest. 
To  the  disciples  the  discourse  was  revelation  and 
consolation,  and  so  it  is  to  us  at  this  da}^ ;  while 
all  benedictions,  pronounced  in  the  Church,  and 
mutual  words  of  peace,  are  continuations  to  the 
end  of  time  of  this  Benediction  of  Peace. 


190  THE   DISCOURSES 


CHAPTER    IX 

THE    ACCEPTED   END 
V.  28-31 

It  is  probably  after  a  momentary  pause  that  the 
Speaker  reverts  to  the  communications  He  has 
made,  with  regard,  first,  to  their  present  impres- 
sion ;  secondly,  to  their  future  use ;  and  thirdly,  to 
their  near  cessation. 

He  looked  on  the  hearers  and  saw  that  they 
were  sad.  The  account  given  of  the  departure  had 
scarcely  reached  their  minds ;  to  them  it  was  de- 
parture and  nothing  more. 

"  Ye  heard  how  I  said  to  you,  I  go  away,  and  T  come  unto 
you.  If  ye  loved  me,  ye  would  have  rejoiced,  because  I  go 
unto  the  Father ;  for  the  Father  is  greater  than  I "  (28). 

"If  ye  loved  Me,"  He  says.  They  did  love 
Him,  but  with  unenlightened  love.  The  word  is 
spoken  after  the  manner  of  men  who  seem  to  re- 
prove in  order  to  console  those  whom  they  are 
leaving.  He  has  nov\^  told  tliem  whither  He  is 
going  —  "to  the  Father"  —  surely  an  elevating 
thought!   a  i)roper  cause  of  joy  for  his  sake,  and 


THE   ACCEPTED   END  191 


also  for  their  own.  The  life  which  He  has  begun 
with  them  and  for  them  will  be  raised  to^a  higher 
level ;  "  for  the  Father  is  greater  than  I." 

This  is  not  a  pronouncement  on  the  mystery  of 
the  Godhead  in  respect   to   the   relations  of   the 
Divine  Persons  in  the  ever-blessed  Trinity.    In  all 
that  is  now  said  Jesus  speaks  from  the  standpomt 
of  the  present.     He  is  the  Messenger  who  is  sent 
from  the  Father,  the  Way  that  leads  to  the  Father, 
the  Presence  which  shews  the  Father,  the  Son  who 
does  the  commandment  of  the  Father.     The  going 
to  the  Father  is  itself  a  part  of  the  great  economy 
for  which  He  became  incarnate;  and  in  that  econ- 
omy the  Father  is  greater,  as  being  the  Author 
and  the  End  of  all  that  has  been  done,  is  being 
done,  and  is  yet  to  be  done  in  it;    and  thus  the 
word  "  for  the  Father  is  greater  than  I "  sums  up 
this  whole  situation  and  gives  a  supreme  reason 
for  rejoicing  in  the  exaltation  of  the  Son  of  Man 
to  the  right  hand  of  God.i 

1  In  further  illustration  of  the  view  here  taken  I   append 
the  two  following  extracts  :  —  ,        ,  •  i 

1  "  This  was  the  great  stronghold  of  the  Arians,  by  which 
they  sought  to  prove  that  the  Son  was  not  God,  but  the  highes 
creature  of  God.  But  SS.  Athanasius,  Augustin,  Basil,  and 
the  rest  of  the  Fathers  answer  them,  that  Christ  is  here  speak- 
in-  of  Himself,  not  as  God,  but  as  man.  Aud,  that  it  isso,  is 
pUin  from  this,  that  He  gives  the  reason  why  He  is  going  to 
Ihe  Father:  "  because,"  He  says,  "  the  Father  is  greater  than 
I"  Now  Christ  goeth  to  the  l^ather,  in  that,  as  man,  lie 
ascendeth    into  He;ven.     For  as  God   He  i.  alway  in  heaven 


192  THE   DISCOURSES 


This  exaltation  the  disciples  would  some  day 
understand,  and  then  their  love  Avould  rejoice. 
And  so  it  was  at  once.  We  read  that  when  they 
saw  Him  go,  they  worshipped  Him,  and  returned  to 
Jerusalem  with  great  joy,  and  were  continually  in 
the  temple,  praising  and  blessing  God  (Luke  xxiv. 
53).  But  the  time  of  understanding  was  not  yet ; 
why,  then,  speak  now  of   a  rejoicing  which  they 

with  the  Father ;  wherefore  S.  Augustin  saith,  ' '  He  loent,  in 
that  He  was  in  one  place.  He  remained,  in  that  He  was  every- 
where."— A  Lapide,  in  loc. 

2.  "Tlie  Son,  although  of  divine  essence,  and  6/iooi5o-ios  with 
the  Father,  nevertheless  was,  and  is,  and  remains,  subordinated 
to  the  Father  ;  since  the  Son,  as  Organ,  as  Commissioner  of  the 
Father,  as  Intercessor  with  the  Father,  has  received  his  whole 
power,  even  in  the  kingly  oihce  from  the  Father  (xvii.  5),  and 
after  the  complete  accomplishment  of  the  work  committed  to 
Him  will  restore  it  to  the  Father  (1  Cor.  xv.  28)."  —  Mevek, 
Handbook  on  Gospel  of  St.  John.,  in  loc. 

The  patristic  literature  on  the  passage  is  abundant.  Bishop 
Westcott,  in  his  "  Additional  Note,"  gives  judiciously  chosen 
extracts  from  twenty  early  writers,  and  sums  up  as  follows  :  — 

3.  "If  we  turn  from  these  comments  to  the  text  of  St.  John, 
it  will  be  seen  that  (1)  The  Lord  speaks  throughout  the  Gospel 
with  an  unchanged  and  unchangeable  Personality  ;  the  I  (e7w) 
is  the  same  in  viii.  58,  x.  30,  xiv.  28.  (2)  We  must  believe 
that  there  was  a  certain  fitness  in  the  Incarnation  of  the  Son. 

(3)  This  fitness  could  not  have  been  an  accident,  but  must  have 
belonged,  if  we  may  so  si^eak,  to   his  true  Personal  Nature. 

(4)  So  far  then  as  it  was  fit  that  the  Son  should  be  incarnate 
and  suffer,  and  not  the  Father,  it  is  possible  for  us  to  under- 
stand that  the  Father  is  greater  than  the  Son,  as  Son,  in  Per- 
son, but  not  in  Essence.  Among  English  writers,  it  is  suffi- 
cient to  refer  to  Bull  ;  and  to  Pearson  'On  the  Creed'  (Art. 
1),  whose  notes,  as  always,  contain  a  treasure  of  patristic 
learning." 


IX  THE   ACCEPTED   END  193 

could  not  feel?  Such  words  could  not  be  quite 
without  effect  at  the  moment ;  but  they  will  serve 
to  assist  the  faith  of  the  future. 

"  Now  I  have  told  you  before  it  come  to  pass,  that  when  it 
is  come  to  pass,  ye  may  believe  "  (29). 

When  the  departure  shall  have  taken  place,  and 
the  new  order  of  things  supervened,  then  these 
and  other  like  words  will  rise  to  remembrance,  as 
informations  and  reinforcements  to  faith.  They 
will  assist  the  disciples  to  "  believe,"  in  the  sense 
of  apprehending  things  unseen,  and  beholding 
their  Master,  no  longer  seen  on  earth,  as  received 
into  the  glory  of  the  Father.  Faith  will  follow 
the  course  of  the  history  through  fulfilment  of 
predictions  here  to  fulfilment  of  predictions  there  ; 
and  the  words  will  have  their  effect  in  the  time  to 
which  they  apply.  The  principle  of  teaching  in 
the  interests  of  the  future,  and  with  a  view  to  later 
stages  of  intelligent  use,  is  illustrated  throughout 
these  discourses,  and  is  again  and  again  affirmed. 
It  is  a  principle  in  all  education,  though  exception- 
ally prominent  in  this  great  example  of  it. 

Preparatory  words  are  precious,  more  so  when 
they  are  being  spoken  for  the  last  time ;  and  these 
communications  are  close  upon  their  end. 

"  No  longer  shall  I  speak  many  things  with  you  (as  I 
have  done  in  the  past),  for  the  Prince  of  the  world 
Cometh." 

N 


194  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

There  is  an  end  to  converse  and  companionship 
in  the  events  of  this  very  night.  The  attack  is  to 
be  delivered.  The  world  in  its  powers,  popular, 
ecclesiastical,  and  civil,  is  rising  up  to  overthrow 
Him  who  stands  alone  to  bear  the  shock.  But 
there  is  a  darker  power  behind,  which  his  eye 
beholds  and  his  words  reveal.  "  The  Ruler  of 
this  world  cometh."  Already  has  the  Evil  One 
been  thus  described  (xii.  31),  and  the  name  is  a 
revelation  of  fear.  "  This  world,"  in  revolt  from 
its  true  Sovereign,  has  fallen  under  another  Ruler, 
who  has  become  so  by  its  own  concession  and 
invitation,  and  who  uses  and  impels  it  for  his  own 
malignant  ends.  The  former  saying  had  taken  in 
the  conflict  on  the  whole,  and  declared  its  issue. 
"  Now  is  the  judgment  of  this  world  :  now  shall 
the  Prince  of  this  world  be  cast  out."  But  the 
issue  is  not  yet.  It  is  the  conflict  which  is  at 
hand.  Now  he  "  comes."  Doubtless  he  is  always 
active  and  on  the  watch ;  but  he  watches  for  op- 
portunities, and  they  arrive.  They  occur  through 
the  j)assions  of  his  servants,  or  by  critical  con- 
junctures of  circumstances,  or  by  special  permis- 
sion from  above.  In  the  manifestation  of  the  Son. 
of  God  there  were  two  great  onsets,  —  one  at  its 
opening,  the  other  at  its  close.  In  the  solitude  of 
the  desert,  "  the  Tempter  came  to  him,"  if  so 
be  he  might  destroy  the  virtue  of  the  heavenly 
mission  before  it  Avas  begun.     He  came  to  test  the 


IX  THE   ACCEPTED   END  195 

human  righteousness  of  Jesus  by  subtle  insinua- 
tion and  direct  approaches  to  his  spirit.  It  was 
vain;  and  it  only  remains  that  another  kind  of 
attack  should  be  tried.  All  the  subservient  powers 
of  the  world  shall  be  called  into  action ;  and  the 
undertaking,  which  could  not  be  arrested  by  in- 
ward temptation,  shall  be  crushed  by  violence, 
and  extinguished  in  anguish,  shame,  and  death. 

For  this  purpose  it  is  said,  "  the  Prince  of  the 
world  Cometh  " ;  but  it  is  added,  "  and  in  me  he 
hath  nothing  "  (eV  i/xol  ovk  ey^ei  oySeV),  nothing  at 
all  of  what  he  finds  in  the  world,  nothing  that  has 
any  moral  kindred  with  his  nature,  and  by  which 
he  might  have  claim  or  right  upon  Me.  Satan 
has  claims  on  men,  as  he  has  access  to  them,  — 
rightful  claims,  in  so  far  as  created  by  their  own 
sin ;  for  men  are  victims  because  they  are  ac- 
complices. But  here  is  sinless  humanity.  The 
Tempter  ranging  round  the  holy  soul,  to  seek  the 
smallest  inlet,  had  found  none.  There  is,  then, 
nothing  here  belonging  to  his  dominion,  which 
can  give  him  right  or  power  to  assail. 

Why,  then,  should  this  attack  be  suffered?  or 
why  submitted  to?  If  so,  it  can  only  be  by  free 
consent  and  voluntary  act;  and  for  that  there 
must  be  some  sufficient  reason.  So  there  is,  in 
the  one  supreme  motive  of  action  recognised  by 
the  will  of  Christ.  The  world  in  this  case  is 
powerless,  and  its  Prince  is  powerless. 


196  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

"  In  me  he  hath  nothing ;  but  that  the  world  may  know 
that  I  love  the  Father,  and  as  the  Father  gave  me  command- 
ment, so  I  do  "  (31). 

The  course  of  things  is  hy  commandment  of  the 
Father ;  but  the  charge  was  voluntarily  accepted, 
and  is  freely  obeyed.  So  it  will  appear  more 
forcibly,  an  hour  later,  in  Gethsemane.  It  is  not 
only  obedience  of  will,  it  is  obedience  of  love ; 
and,  what  is  more  touching,  the  world  itself  is  to 
be  brought  to  recognise  this  love  to  the  Father. 
The  world  rising  up  against  Him,  under  the  horrid 
inspiration  of  its  Ruler,  is  still  the  object  of  pity- 
ing thoughts.  What  can  conquer  the  inspirations 
of  evil  but  the  sweet  force  of  holy  love  ?  And  that 
is  to  be  learned  from  the  great  lesson  of  the  love 
of  the  Father,  which  Jesus  exhibits  in  his  own 
person  and  communicates  by  his  own  death.  As 
far  as  that  lesson  shall  be  learned,  the  world  will 
cease  to  be  the  world,  and  own  the  power  of  the 
love  of  Christ  to  its  own  salvation.^ 

What  a  history  is  revealed  in  these  brief  sen- 
tences breaking  suddenly  from  the  heart !  What 
an  interpretation  do  they  supply  of  the  scenes 
that  are  to  follow !  What  an  exposure  of  the  mysr 
tery  of  wickedness !  What  a  disclosui'e  of  the 
mystery  of  love  !  Wliat  a  testimony  of  the  will 
of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  concurrent  in  the 

1  "  Ut  nuuidus  dcsinat  mundu.s  esse  ;  ct  Tatris  in  nie  bene- 
placitiun  agnoscat  salutariter. ■"  — Bkxokl, 


IX  THE   ACCEPTED   END  197 

work   of   our   salvation !      "  Even    as   the    Father 
p-ave  me  commandment  —  so  I  do." 

It  is  but  for  a  moment  that  the  Lord  thus  ad- 
verts to  tlie  ordeal  on  which  He  is  entering.  The 
consciousness  of  it  is  present,  while  the  mention 
of  it  is  suppressed,  in  order  that  He  may  devote 
the  last  words  to  the  consolation  and  instruction 
of  "his  own  whom  He  loved  to  the  end." 


198  THE   DISCOURSES 


CHAPTER   X 

A  DIVIDING  LINE 

The  last  words  have  intimated  the  coming  con- 
flict and  the  resolution  to  proceed ;  and  it  is  a 
natural  sequel.  "Arise,  let  us  go  hence."  This 
word  draws  a  dividing  line  between  what  has 
passed  already  and  all  that  may  follow.  The 
Supper  is  over,  including  the  session,  which  cus- 
tom allowed  and  commonly  prolonged  for  con- 
versation and  discourse ;  a  conversation,  on  this 
occasion,  of  deepest  interest,  and  a  discourse  of 
the  last  importance.  Now  they  break  up  from  the 
table,  and,  we  should  expect,  witli  some  custom- 
ary concluding  form.  The  two  first  Evangelists 
mention  such  an  act,  apparently  as  in  the  order  of 
things:  "When  they  had  hymned  (u/xi/z^'o-ai/Te?), 
they  went  out  into  the  Mount  of  Olives  "  (Matt. 
xxvi.  30;  Mark  xiv.  26).  Alford,  in  his  note  on. 
the  passage,  observes :  — 

"Here,  accurately  speaking,  perhaps  between  the  vfiv^ 
o-avTcs  and  ^^XOov,  came  in  the  discourses  and  prayers  of  the 
Lord,  in  John  xiv.-xvii.,  spoken  (see  note  on  John  xiv.  31) 
without  change  of  place,  in  the  upper  chamber.     The  v/avos 


A   DIVIDING   LINE  199 


was  in  all  probability  the  last  part  of  the  Ilallel  or  great 
Hallel,  which  consisted  of  Ps.  cxv.-cxviii.,  the  former  part 
(cxiii.,  cxiv.)  having  been  sung  during  the  meal.  It  is 
unlikely  that  this  took  place  after  the  solemn  prayer  in 
John  xvii." 

I  would  only  alter  this  suggestion  by  placing 
the  recitation  of  the  Psalms,  or  some  of  them, 
after  chapter  xiv.  instead  of  before  it;  for  there 
has  been  no  definite  break  in  the  communication 
till  now,  when  the  session  at  supper  ends,  and  the 
liturgical  act  is  probably  to  be  taken  as  an  under- 
stood form  in  rising  to  depart,  and  is  by  the 
Evangelists  immediately  connected  with  the  move- 
ment of  the  company. 

But  then  the  local  question  arises,  as  to  the 
place  in  which  we  should  suppose  the  second  dis- 
course delivered,  followed  immediately  by  the 
final  prayer.  Commentators  take  different  views. 
Some  consider  that  all  takes  place  on  the  same 
spot,  Jesus  delaying  the  departure  till  the  moment 
in  which  it  is  said  (xviii.  1),  "  When  Jesus  had 
spoken  these  words,  he  went  forth  with  his  dis- 
ciples over  the  brook  Kedron."  Others  think  that 
"  Let  us  go  hence  "  forbids  this  idea,  and  that  the 
succeeding  words  were  spoken  at  some  halting- 
place  before  crossing  that  boundary  of  the  city,  or 
(as  some  maintain)  in  the  Temple,  which,  it  is 
said,  was  opened  by  the  priests  at  midnight.  As 
one  leading  authority  is  clear  and  strong  on  the 


200  TFIE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

question,  it  is  right  to  give  Bishop  Westcott's  own 
statement  of  his  opinion  :  — 

"  We  must  suppose  that  after  these  words,  the  Lord,  with 
the  eleven,  at  once  left  the  house,  and  went  on  the  way 
which  finally  led  to  Gethsemane;  consequently,  that  the  dis- 
courses which  follow  xv.-xvii.  were  spoken  after  He  had 
gone  from  the  upper  room,  and  before  He  crossed  the  Ke- 
dron.  The  other  supposition,  that,  after  rising,  He  lingered 
in  the  room  as  full  of  the  thoughts  of  the  coming  events, 
appears  to  be  wholly  against  the  obvious  interpretation  of 
the  narrative,  and  to  disregard  the  clearer  distinction  in 
character  between  the  earlier  and  later  discourses." 

Further  on  in  the  introduction  to  chapter  xvii., 
he  says,  "  It  is  certain  tliat  the  upper  chamber  was 
left  after  xiv.  31,"  and  then  proceeds  :  — 

"  It  is  scarcely  possible  that  chapters  xv.,  xvi.,  could  have 
been  spoken  in  the  streets  of  the  city.  It  is  inconceivable 
that  chapter  xvii.  should  have  been  spoken  anywhere  but  in 
circumstances  suited  to  its  unapproachable  solemnity.  One 
spot  alone  combines  all  that  is  required  to  satisfy  these  con- 
ditions, —  the  Temple  courts.  The  central  object  there  was 
the  great  golden  vine,  from  which  He  derived  the  figure  of 
his  own  vital  relation  to  his  people ;  and  nowhere,  it  is  clear, 
could  our  High  Priest  more  fitly  offer  Himself,  his  work, 
and  believers  to  the  Father,  than  in  the  one  place  which 
God  had  chosen  to  set  his  name  there  "  (p.  237). 

These  are  telling  words ;  but  it  may  be  an- 
swered: 1.  That  to  most  readers  there  appears 
nothing  inconsistent  with  tlie  narrative  in  the  sup- 
position of  a  departure  commenced  and  arrested ; 


X  A   DIVIDING   LINE  201 

and  that,  in  resuming  the  discourse  without  break, 
it  rather  suggests  that  as  yet  there  was  no  great 
chanofe  of  scene.  2.  That  the  different  tone  of 
the  later  discourse  is  proper  to  an  altered  attitude 
and  fresh  stage  of  action,  but  not  necessarily  to 
another  place.  3.  That  such  a  change  is  itself  un- 
likely. The  house  had  been  chosen  by  the  Lord 
in  a  marked  manner,  as  the  place  for  the  Paschal 
Supper,  for  the  institution  of  the  Sacrament,  and 
for  the  last  converse  with  his  disciples.  Why 
leave  it  before  his  intended  communications  were 
finished,  and  an  integral  and  important  part  of 
them  had  yet  to  be  delivered?  4.  It  must  be  felt 
that,  against  the  hypothesis  of  adjournment  to  the 
Temple,  the  silence  of  the  narrative  has  special 
force.  Such  a  choice,  and  for  such  reasons  of 
fitness  as  are  given,  conld  scarcely  have  been 
passed  over  without  a  word  of  notice.  5.  Further- 
more, instead  of  being  proper  to  the  situation,  it 
appears  on  some  accounts  quite  out  of  keeping 
with  it.  The  Temple,  if  open  to  the  public,  Avould 
not  be  the  fit  place  for  words  to  be  heard  onl}^  by 
the  chosen  few ;  and  it  had  never  been  the  scene 
of  confidences  with  them,  but  of  public  action  as 
in  the  centre  of  the  nation  ;  and  now  that  action 
was  over.  Two  days  before,  it  had  been  the  scene 
of  the  last  rejection,  the  stern  farewell  and  the 
predictive  sentence  of  its  fall.  The  Lord  lias  done 
witli  the  people  and  the  Temple,  and  has  finally 


202  THE    DISCOURSES  chap. 

separated  his  little  Church,  to  inaugurate  the  New 
Covenant  among  them.  The  chosen  sanctuary  of 
peace,  not  tlie  forsaken  Temple,  is  the  fit  place  for 
the  consummation  of  the  work. 

If  we  set  aside  the  idea  of  a  visit  to  the  Temple, 
and  still  more,  of  a  halt  on  the  way  through  the 
city,  we  can  only  read  the  discourse  as  resumed 
in  the  same  locality.  Should  we  desire  a  more 
particular  description  of  the  place,  there  seems  to 
me  a  great  probability  in  a  suggestion  contained 
in  a  footnote  to  Bengel's  Commentary  on  Matt. 
xxvi.  30.1  i^  supposes  that  the  company  not  only 
rose  from  their  places  and  prepared  to  go,  but 
that  they  quitted  the  supper  room,  and  were 
arrested  by  the  Lord's  words  in  the  court  of  the 
house.  Nothing  could  be  more  natural.  We 
know  the  arrangement  of  Jewish  houses ;  and  this 
was  evidently  one  of  no  mean  character  (Luke 
xxii.  10-12).  Those  who  left  "the  great  cham- 
ber "  would  find  themselves  in  an  open  court, 
before  reaching  the  door  which  led  into  the  street. 
Here  a  short  delay  might  well  be  made.  Here 
there  might  be  "  a  fruitful  vine  upon  the  sides 
of  the  house"  (or,  as  Cheyne,  "in  the  recesses  of 
the  house  "),  Ps.  cxxviii.  3,  if  a  visible  symbol  be 

1  "  Haud  immerito  existimaneris,  hymiuim  in  coenaculo  adliuc 
pronunciatum  esse,  at  serraones  Jesu,  John  xv.-xvi.,  necnon 
preces  cxvii.  sub  dio  (v.  1)  in  area  hospitii  (si  placet),  intra 
urbem  resonasse. ' '  —  Harm. ,  p.  522. 


A   DIVIDING   LINE  203 


sought  as  occasion  for  the  first  words  there  spoken. 
Here,  also,  it  woukl  be  under  the  moonlit  sky  that 
"Jesus  lifted  up  his  eyes  to  heaven  and  said. 
Father,  the  hour  is  come."  Such  a  locality  would 
agree  with  the  double  impression  which  we  receive 
from  the  narrative,  of  a  movement  to  depart,  and 
yet  a  continuance  on  the  same  spot. 

But  whatever   took   place    at   this   moment,  it 
does  not  affect  the  teaching  which  it  is  the  pur- 
pose of  the  Evangelist  to  record.     He  carries  on 
the  line  with  a  note  of  division,  but  no  space  of 
interruption.     This  is  more  striking  if  read  with- 
out  the    modern   artificial   separation    by  chapter 
and  verse.     "As  the  Father  gave  me  command- 
ment, so  I  do.     Arise,  let  us  go  hence.     I  am  the 
true   vine,   and   my   Father  is    the    husbandman." 
H  the  mention  of  action  had  been  interposed,  it 
would  have   diminished  the   sense    of   continuity 
between  the   two  discourses,  which,  as  it  is,  the 
writer  seems  intentionally  to  maintain. 

The  relation  of  the  second  discourse  to  that 
which  preceded  is,  in  the  first  place,  one  of  con- 
tinuity, consisting  in  the  consecutive  character  of 
the  ideas.  All  its  teaching  rests  on  the  revela- 
tions and  promises  before  delivered.  The  doctrine 
which  began  with  "Ye  believe  in  God,  believe 
also  in  me,"  had  made  the  person  of  Christ  to  be 
the  medium  of  union  with  God ;  and  that  which 
beo-an  with  "  I  will  pray  the  Father,  and  he  shall 


204  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

give  you  another  Comforter,"  had  made  the  action 
of  the  Spirit  to  be  the  living  union  with  Christ. 
These  two  doctrines  underlie  all  the  deliverances 
which  follow. 

In  the  second  place,  the  relation  of  the  latter  to 
the  former  discourse  is  one  of  development,  in  the 
more  distinctly  practical  direction ;  and  in  con- 
sequence, the  language  assumes  a  characteristic 
tone  of  exhortation.  In  the  former,  the  keynote 
is  consolation  in  view  of  departure ;  in  the  latter, 
it  is  instruction  for  the  state  which  will  ensue. 
There,  as  well  as  here,  the  Speaker  instructs ; 
here,  as  well  as  there.  He  consoles.  But  there 
He  is  opening  the  view  of  the  future  to  meet  the 
sorrows  of  tlie  crisis ;  here  He  has  passed  into 
that  future,  makes  it  his  standpoint,  and  gives  the 
needful  principles  for  its  faith  and  experience. 
He  has  before  Him  a  state  of  things  which  the 
hearers  do  not  yet  understand,  so  that  He  seems 
to  be  speaking  parables ;  but  events  will  soon 
change  the  scene,  and  then  all  will  be  plain,  and 
the  words,  remembered  and  understood,  will  be- 
come support  to  the  work  of  the  Apostles,  and 
principles  of  life  to  them  and  to  the  Church  for 
ever.  These  sayings,  then,  with  all  their  abrupt 
forms  and  sympathetic  tones,  are  to  be  read,  not 
as  separate  expressions,  but  as  forecasting  inter- 
pretations of  the  ensuing  history,  and  fiuidamental 
revelations   of  the   truths    by   which    it   is    to    be 


X  A   DIVIDING    LINE  205 

guided  and  blessed.  They  are  also  to  be  read  in 
the  light  of  another  principle,  already  noted  as 
characteristic  of  the  words  of  Jesus ;  namely,  the 
combination  of  an  immediate  and  a  remote  inten- 
tion, hei-e  exhibited  in  the  adaptation  to  the  special 
exigencies  of  the  Apostles,  and  at  the  same  time 
to  the  general  needs  of  believers. 

It  remains  that,  l)efore  entering  on  the  second 
discourse,  we  endeavour  to  distinguish  and  desig- 
nate the  principal  topics  of  this  divine  instruction ; 
which  is  at  once  the  more  needful  and  the  more 
difficult  to  do,  on  account  of  (what  may  be  de- 
scribed as)  the  intertwinings  of  thought  by  the 
applications  of  the  same  truths  in  different  con- 
nexions. 

The  fundamental  subject  is  that  of  the  relations 
of  believers  to  Jesus  Christ  in  respect  of  practical 
life  under  the  coming  dispensation ;  and  these 
relations  may  be  distinguished  as  follows  :  — 

1.  The  relation  of  members  who  share  in  his 
life. 

2.  That  of  friends  who  share  in  his  love. 

3.  That  of  followers  who  share  in  his  work. 

4.  That  of  adherents  who  share  in  his  spirit. 
These  topics    are   not  separated   formall}',  but 

interpenetrate  one  another;   yet  are  they  distin- 
guished by  observable  succession  in  the  discourse. 
1.    Thus  the  relation  to  Jesus  Christ  of  mem- 
bers who  share  in  his  life,  and  thereby  bring  forth 


206  THE   DISCOURSES  chap,  x 

fruit  unto   God,  is  set  forth  in  the  similitude  of 
the  vine  and  its  branches  (vs.  1-8). 

2.  The  reLation  of  friends  who  share  in  his 
love  and  maintain  its  continuance  and  manifest 
its  effect  by  love  to  each  other  is  presented  in 
vs.  9-17. 

3.  The  relation  of  followers  who  share  in  his 
work  towards  the  Avorld,  and  therefore  share  with 
Him  in  its  enmity  and  in  the  trials  of  conflict,  is 
given  in  vs.  18-xvi.  3. 

4.  The  relation  of  adherents  on  whom  He  be- 
stows a  share  in  his  own  spirit  through  the  active 
association  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  Comforter,  Ad- 
vocate, and  Teacher,  is  expressed  in  xvi.  4-15. 

Then  follow  answers  to  thoughts  which  have 
been  raised  in  the  minds  of  the  hearers,  final 
words  of  interpretation  of  the  crisis,  renewed 
warnings,  promises,  assurances,  closing  with  grave 
warning  and  sad  intimation  of  desertion,  which 
passes  again  into  a  concluding  note  of  peace  and 
confidence  and  victory. 


SECOND    DISCOURSE 


XV 

CHAPTER 

XI.  Life  and  Fruitfulness    . 

XII.  Love  and  Friendship  . 

XIII.  Enmity  of  the  World 

XIV.  Witness  to  the  World    . 


V.  1-8 
9-16 
17-25 
26-27 


XVI 

XV.  Treatment  by  the  World    . 

XVI.  Conviction  of  the  World    . 

XVII.  Illumination  of  the  Church 

XVIII.  Sorrow  and  Joy       .... 

XIX.  Intercourse  of  the  Future 

XX.  The  Last  Words      .... 


1-4 
5-11 
12-15 
16-22 
22-27 
28-33 


207 


CHAPTER   XI 

LIFE   AND   FRUITFULNESS 

XV.   1-8 

Such  interruption  as  occurred  was  Inief.  The 
Lord  resumed  his  discourse,  and  the  Evangelist 
continues  his  report.  For,  not  accidentally,  nor 
even  in  loose  connexion,  do  the  following  instruc- 
tions ensue,  but  in  necessary  sequence  to  the  pre- 
vious words  of  promise,  as  giving  the  principles 
and  outlines  of  the  state  which  is  to  be.  The 
first  principle  is  that  of  life.,  generated  by  mem- 
bership in  Christ,  maintained  by  a  responsive  will, 
proved  and  perfected  by  moral  fruitfulness.  It  is 
taught,  as  it  could  best  be  taught,  in  a  figurative 
form,  akin  to  the  former  teaching  by  parable. 

"  I  am  tlie  true  vine,  and  my  Fatlier  is  the  husbandman. 
Every  branch  in  me  that  beareth  not  fruit,  he  taketh  it 
away :  and  every  branch  that  beareth  fruit,  he  cleanseth  it, 
that  it  may  bear  more  fruit.  Ah-eady  ye  are  clean  because 
of  the  word  which  1  have  spoken  unto  you.  Abide  in  me 
and  I  in  you.  As  the  branch  cannot  bear  fruit  of  itself, 
except  it  abide  in  the  vine;  so  neither  can  ye,  except  ye 
abide  in  me.  I  am  the  vine,  ye  are  the  branches;  he  that 
O  209 


210  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

abideth  in  me,  and  I  in  him,  the  same  beareth  much  fruit : 
for  apart  from  me  ye  can  do  notliing.  If  a  man  abide  not 
in  me,  he  is  cast  forth  as  a  branch  and  is  withered;  and 
they  gather  tliem,  and  cast  tlrem  into  the  fire  and  they  are 
burned.  If  ye  abide  in  me  and  my  words  abide  in  you,  ask 
whatsoever  ye  will,  and  it  shall  be  done  unto  you.  Herein 
is  my  Father  glorified  that  ye  bear  much  fruit ;  and  so  shall 
ye  be  my  disciples." 

Was  there  anything  in  the  actual  scene  which 
gave  occasion  for  this  figurative  teaching?  That 
question  is  suggested  by  the  suddenness  of  its 
introduction  and  the  vividness  of  its  detail,  and 
by  the  Lord's  frequent  habit  of  deriving  the  lan- 
guage which  He  employed  from  objects  before 
the  eye.  Those  who  suppose  the  discourse  in  tlie 
Temple  find  the  suggestion  in  the  great  golden 
vine  over  the  gate  (though  that  is  wanting  in 
the  life,  which  is  the  very  point  of  comparison). 
Those  who  place  it  on  the  way  suppose  a  passage 
through  a  vineyard,  possibly  with  flickering  lights 
from  little  heaps  of  branches  burning,  —  a  scene  by 
no  means  likely  on  the  city  side  of  the  Kedron. 
Those  who  keep  to  the  first  locality  have  thought 
of  vines  on  the  wall  of  the  house  (scarcely  natural, 
in  the  room,  though  it  might  be  so  in  the  court- 
yard). Yet  these  excursions  of  imagination  are 
hardly  necessary  in  respect  of  an  emblem  so 
familiar  to  the  minds  of  the  hearers,  as  represent- 
ing ideas  akin  to  those  which  were  now  to  be  im- 


LIFE   AND    FKUITFULXESS  211 


[)ressed.  The  vine  was  of  old  a  recognised  symbol 
of  the  life  of  Israel,  ever  recurring  as  such  in  the 
Old  Testament  Scriptures,^  appearing  on  Macca- 
bean  coinage,  and  established  in  permanent  and 
conspicuoas  form  in  the  Temple  itself. 

The  vine  offered  itself  as  a  national  symbol, 
from  its  being  a  special  product  of  the  coun- 
try, from  the  value  set  upon  it,  and  from  familiarity 
with  the  methods  of  its  cultivation.  As,  of  all 
trees,  its  growth  was  most  conspicuously  for  the 
sake  of  its  branches,  and  its  branches  for  the  sake 
of  its  fruit ;  so  it  best  served  to  represent  a  chosen 
stock,  a  planting  of  the  Lord,  the  ramifications  of 
a  common  life,  and  the  purpose  of  moral  fruitful- 
ness  for  which  the  planting  was  intended.  In 
regard  to  such  an  emblem,  external  suggestion  at 
the  moment  seems  needless,  and  indeed  would  be 
less  suitable  to  this  deliberate  and  predetermined 
instruction  than  to  such  as  might  be  more  casually 
given  in  converse  by  the  wayside. 

It  is  to  express  ideas  closely  related  to  those 
which  it  had  always  symbolised,  that  the  Lord 
employs  this  imagery,  in  the  way  not  of  mere 
application,  but  of  perfect  and  predestined  fulfil- 
ment. "  I  am  the  vine,  the  true  one  "  (»;  a/x7reXo<? 
r]  aX'qOivi)')  is  equivalent  to,  I  am  He  in  whom  is 
concentrated  the  substance  and  the  life  which 
were  but  shadowed  in  the  chosen  people.  From 
1  E.<j.  Ps.  Ixxx.,  Is.  v.,  Jer.  xi.,  Hos.  x.,  etc. 


212  THE   DISCOUKSES  chap. 

the  central  l)ut  decayed  stock  of  that  people  the 
Christ  was  to  arise,  as  a  shoot  from  the  stump  of 
a  felled  tree,  which  should  spring  and  spread  in 
fulness  of  life,  and  develop  the  fruits  of  righteous- 
ness and  peace.  "  There  cometh  forth  a  twig  out 
of  the  stump  of  Jesse,  and  a  shoot  from  its  roots 
bringeth  forth  fruit;  and  the  Spirit  of  Jehovah 
descendeth  upon  him,"  etc.  (Is.  xi.  1,  2,  Delitzsch). 
Prophecy  hangs  in  clusters  on  this  "  vine  of 
David  " ;  ^  and  the  passage  before  us  presents  the 
Person  who  is  thus  represented,  and  in  whom  all 
will  be  fulfilled. 

It  is  not  for  ornament,  but  for  more  profound 
and  effective  teaching,  that  this  metaphoric  lan- 
guage is  employed.  Spiritual  subjects  often  re- 
quire figurative  expression ;  and  plain  words,  as 
they  are  called,  are  often  less  plain  from  being 
prosaic.  The  emblem  still  carries  more  meaning 
to  the  mind  than  the  explanation  of  it  does.  One 
cannot  but  wonder  at  the  amount  of  truth  which 
is  conveyed  in  this  brief  imagery ;  truth  con- 
cerning Christ  and  his  members,  concerning  the 
common  life  that  is  in  Him  and  them,  concerning 

1  In  the  scanty  notes  of  Eucharlstic  service  in  the  "  Dida- 
ache,"  the  following  expression  occurs  :  "We  thank  thee,  O  our 
Father,  for  the  holy  Vine  of  David  thy  child,  which  thou  hast 
made  known  to  us  by  thy  child  Jesus"  (ch.  ix.).  It  is  inter- 
esting, as  suggesting  Judieo-Christian  associations  of  thought 
and  language  transmitted  probably  from  Paschal  forms  and 
customs. 


XI  LIFE   AND   FRUITFULNESS  213 

its  separate  realisation  in  individual  souls,  concern- 
ing the  union  wliicli  is  its  essence  and  the  fruits 
which  are  its  end,  and  concerning  all  these  things, 
as  they  are  affected  by  the  active  government  of 
God,  and  by  the  freedom  of  the  will  of  man. 
These  are  subjects  prolific  of  questions  and  dis- 
cussions ;  and  this  allegory  gives  the  principles  of 
the  teaching  of  Christ  upon  them.  Naturally, 
then,  its  expressions  have  been  often  invoked  and 
put  to  various  uses  in  Arian  and  Pelagian  con- 
troversies, in  those  of  Reformation  times,  and 
indeed  of  all  periods  of  the  Church.  But  if  con- 
troversy has  fastened  on  these  pregnant  sayings, 
that  is  only  incidental,  and  lies  outside  the  present 
study  of  them,  which  regards  only  the  purpose  for 
which  they  are  spoken,  a  purpose  of  edification  by 
instruction  and  exhortation,  by  admonition  and 
warning. 

As  in  other  connexions  of  thought  ("  I  am  the 
light  of  the  world  —  I  am  the  bread  of  life,"  and 
the  like),  Jesus  here  fixes  the  eye  of  faith  on  his 
own  person  ;  but  in  the  present  saying  He  regards 
Himself  as  inclusive  of  his  members,  who  partici- 
pate in  his  own  life,  and,  as  it  were,  complete  it. 
He  says  not,  "I  am  the  root  —  I  am  the  stem," 
but  "  I  am  the  vine  —  and  ye  are  the  branches," 
presenting  Himself  and  the  Church  as  one  organic 
whole.  Thus  we  see  in  Jesus  the  Incarnate  Son, 
a  new  stock  of  humanity,  planted  of  God  in  the 


214  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

earth,  able  to  expand  his  own  life  over  others,  and 
so  to  include  their  lives  in  his  own  and  (if  we  may 
use  the  language  here  suggested)  to  ramify  Him- 
self in  them. 

This  capacity  is  the  consequence  of  the  con- 
junction in  his  person  of  the  human  and  the 
divine  nature ;  for  by  the  one  He  enters  into 
union  with  us  in  the  flesh,  and  by  the  others, 
communicates  Himself  to  us  as  "a  quickening 
Spirit."  This  is  well  expressed  in  the  words  of 
the  old  Belgian  commentator,  rehearsing  also  the 
opinions  of  earlier  writers. 

"Christ  has  compared  Himself  to  a  vine,  not  as  He  is 
God,  but  as  man.  For  so  men  are  grafted  into  Him  as 
branches :  for  these  are  of  the  same  nature  and  kind  as  the 
Vine.  Wherefore  S.  Hilary  says  {Lib.  9,  de  Trin.),  Christ 
to  this  end  assumed  flesh,  that  we  fleshly  men  might  as 
branches  be  grafted  into  Him  as  the  Vine.  But  yet  the 
flesh  of  Christ  would  not  have  had  the  power  of  producing 
vine-branches,  i.e.  faithful  and  holy  people,  unless  the  God- 
head had  been  united  to  it.  Wherefore  Cyril  says  that 
Christ  was  the  Vine  by  reason  of  his  Godhead ;  and  S. 
Augustin  says  that,  although  Christ  would  not  have  been 
the  Vine,  except  He  had  been  man,  yet  He  would  not  have 
imparted  grace  to  the  branches,  unless  he  had  been  God  " 
(Corn,  a  Lapide  iti  loc). 

In  passing  from  the  vine  to  the  branches,  we 
miss  the  precision  of  language  which  in  Greek 
and  Latin  distinguish  vine-branches  by  a  word 
proper  to  themselves ;  ^  for  where  vine-culture  is 

1  K\rifiaTa,  palmites. 


LIFE   AND   FRUITFULNESS  215 


a  common  and  important  industry,  it  naturally 
creates  a  vocabulary  of  its  own.  Our  word 
(branches)  belongs  to  trees  in  general,  not  spe- 
cially to  the  vine.  It  also  may  represent  the 
larger  limbs,  not  so  distinctly  the  smaller  and 
more  numerous  shoots,  such  as  may  be  broken  off 
or  grafted  in,  and  on  which,  in  fact,  the  fruit 
appears.  Bearing  the  more  exact  language  in 
mind,  we  shall  see  more  clearly  the  application  to 
individual  life  and  membership.  Whatever  use 
we  may  make  of  this  imagery  in  regard  to 
churches,  or  collective  Christian  life,  regarded  as 
larger  limbs  or  main  rods  of  the  vine,  it  is  to  the 
cases  of  personal  life  that  this  teaching  is  pri- 
marily addressed. 

Cominsr  next  to  the  relation  of  the  branches  to 
the  vine,  we  observe  that  in  the  view  of  Christ 
there  is  a  membership  which  is  real,  and  so  ac- 
knowledged by  Him,  though  comprehending  dif- 
ferent conditions  and  results.  Some  would  not 
recognise  any  real  relation  to  Christ  apart  from 
that  of  vital  and  saving  faith.  Jesus  does.  The 
branch  which  beareth  not  fruit,  and  the  branch 
which  does.  He  describes  alike  as  "  branches  in 
me."  Membership  in  the  Church  is  in  some  real 
sense  a  membership  in  Christ,  and  the  sacramental 
relation  is  a  great  fact,  even  where  the  spiritual 
relation  fails.  It  is  a  different  position  from  that 
of   nature   as   to    rights,   capacities,  and   responsi- 


216  THE    DISCOURSES  chap. 

bilities,  all  which  are  now  in  Christ;  and  it  in- 
volves a  treatment  proper  to  itself.  Yet  is  it  a 
preliminary  relation ;  and  if  it  attains  to  nothing 
more,  ends  in  a  "  taking  away." 

The  issue  is  here  made  to  turn  upon  the  bear- 
ing or  not  bearing  of  fruit ;  and  tliat,  of  course, 
allows  for  time  and  opportunity,  and  includes  the 
process  as  well  as  the  result;  for  the  branch  is 
"bearing  fruit,"  even  before  the  fruit  is  formed, 
or  is  "  not  bearing,"  in  its  provisional  stage  of  life. 
In  regard  to  this  history  two  lines  of  thought  are 
opened,  —  one,  that  on  the  dealings  of  God,  repre- 
sented by  the  methods  of  the  husbandman ;  the 
other,  that  on  the  duty  of  man,  concentrated  in 
the  charge,  "  Abide  in  me." 

"  My  Father  is  the  husbandman.  Every  branch  in  me 
that  beareth  not  fruit,  he  taketh  it  away  ;  and  every  branch 
that  beareth  fruit,  he  cleanseth  it,  that  it  may  bring  forth 
more  fruit." 

It  is  a  compendious  account  of  discrimination 
both  in  judgment  and  treatment;  in  judgment,  for 
it  divides  the  branches  in  the  vine  according  to  the 
presence  or  absence  of  fruit-bearing  life  ;  of  treat- 
ment, for  the  barren  he  takes  away,  the  fruitful  he 
cleanses.  The  taking  away  is  that  out  of  a  real 
connexion  previously  existing,  the  capabilities  of 
which  had  been  enjoyed  in  vain ;  and,  after  a  time 
of  opportunity  and  sufferance,  the  connexion  is 
over.     The  cleansing  is  a  tieatment  of  considerate 


XI  LIFE   AND   FKUITFULNESS  217 

care,  which  those  acquainted,  with  the  methods  of 
vine-culture  would  readily  interpret.^  It  includes 
not  only  the  use  of  the  pruning-knife  and  the 
plucking  away  of  too  luxuriant  foliage,  suggesting 
the  discipline  of  painful  trials  ;  but  also  the  gentler 
abrasions  and  ablutions  for  removal  of  mildew  or 
parasites,  suggesting  purifications  by  milder  cor- 
rections, and  the  searching  influence  of  the  Word, 
and  the  gradual  cleansing  of  grace. 

This  continued  cleansing  belongs  to  those  who 
are  essentially  clean ,2  who  have  not  now  to  seek 
the  source  of  purity  and  life,  but  to  abide  in  it. 
So  it  is  with  these  disciples.  As  Stier  has  ex- 
pressed it,  "  Their  connexion  with  Christ  through 
their  first  faith  has  made  them  vine-branches ; 
and  that  is  their  first  fundamental  purity."  Such 
is  the  import  of  the  address. 

"  Already  ye  are  clean,  because  of  the  word 
which  I  have  spoken  to  you." 

They  were  clean,  not  by  nature,  but  liecause  of 
the    Word,   received   and   assimilated,  whicli   had 

1  In  illustration  of  the  use  of  terms  of  vine- culture  to  express 
action  in  public  life,  Meyer  quotes  (^TJschin.  adv.  Ctesiph.  100), 
a/j-TceXovpyovai  Tives  rrjv  irSXiv,  avaTerfj/riKaai  to.  KXrifiara  to,  tov 
drj/jLOV. 

-In  the  English,  "takes  away,"  "purges,"  "clean,"  we 
miss  the  etymological  connexion  of  thought  given  in  the  Greek 
(atpei,  Kadalpei,  Kadapo's  ;  airei,  cath-airei,  catharos).  The  first 
two  verbs  express  a  likeness,  which  becomes  a  contrast ;  in 
both  cases  a  taking  away;  but  in  the  former,  of  the  thing  itself, 
in  the  latter,  of  that  which  adheres  to  it. 


218  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

become  to  them,  not  a  mere  means  of  purification, 
but  the  cause  or  source  of  it,  a  truth  which  seems 
implied,  in  the  construction  (^Sca  rov  \6yov').  It 
is  a  real  but  not  a  final  cleansing ;  ^  rather,  it 
qualifies  for  that  after  treatment  which  is  effectual 
for  "  more  fruit " ;  and  we  see,  from  the  discovery 
of  their  then  condition,  how  truly  this  was  needed. 

For  them  further  cleansing  and  fruit-bearing 
will  ensue,  but  the  first  duty,  the  fundamental 
necessity,  is  contained  in  the  charge,  "  Abide  in 
me." 

It  is  a  charge  repeated,  insisted  on,  and  urgently 
impressed,  by  reasoning,  exhortation,  and  warning. 
This  necessarily  supposes  the  free  will  of  those 
who  receive  it,  able  to  be  exercised  in  obeying  or 
disregarding  it ;  which  indeed  is  a  condition  sup- 
posed in  the  entire  teaching  of  Scripture.  Zeal 
for  the  truths  of  the  grace  and  faithfulness  of  God 
have  led  some  to  set  aside  the  very  nature  of  the 
being  who  is  to  be  the  subject  of  them ;  but 
doctrines  of  irresistible  and  indefectible  grace  are 
obviously  and  absolutely  irreconcilable  with  these 
words  of  Jesus,  which  call  for  conscious  choice, 
and  deliberate  intention,  and  active  will  and  volun- 
tary perseverance,  and  contemplate  possible  perils 
in  regard  to  the  relations  which  his  people  are  to 
maintain  with  Himself. 

'  "Jam  vos  inumli  estis,  mundi  scilicet,  atque  mundandi"' 
(Aug.). 


XI  LIFE   AND   FRUITFULNESS  219 

These  relations  are  mutual.  "  Abide  in  me  and 
I  in  you."  The  command  here  precedes  the 
promise ;  but  the  promise  is  so  incorporated  with 
the  command  as  to  make  both  one  in  fulfilment. 
A  command  contemplates  action,  and  addresses 
itself  to  the  reason  and  the  will.  "  Ye  are  in  me 
and  I  in  you  "  (xiv.  20)  describes  a  state.  "  Abide 
in  me  and  I  in  you  "  intends  action,  the  continuous 
action  by  which  the  state  is  realised.  This  saying 
took  a  strong  hold  on  the  mind  of  the  Evangelist, 
as  we  see  from  its  frequent  recurrence  in  his 
Epistle ;  and  it  is  there  evident  that  the  anxiety 
about  "  abiding  in  Christ "  has  been  made  more 
intense  by  many  disappointing  experiences  in  the 
first  age  of  Christianity. 

If  it  be  asked,  How  is  this  charge  to  be  fulfilled? 
in  what  does  this  abiding  consist  ?  the  answer 
may  be  given,  that  it  is  an  internal  act,  involving 
external  aids  and  expressions.  It  is  done  by  the 
energies  of  the  soul,  and  the  habitual  activities  of 
faith,  by  returning,  coming,  cleaving  to  Christ,  by 
standinor  fast  in  his  word  as  "  heard  from  the  be- 
ginning,"  by  direct  intercourse  with  Him  and  with 
the  Father  in  the  Spirit,  by  participation  in  works 
which  associate  us  with  Him,  by  loyal  continuance 
in  the  unity  of  his  Church,  and  by  use  of  the 
means  which  He  has  appointed,  especially  of  the 
holy  sacrament,  in  which  this  union  is  renewed 
and  sealed.  These  are  ways  and  means  of  "  abiding 
in  Christ." 


220  THE    DISCOURSES  chap. 

The  necessity  of  it  is  here  impressed  in  respect 
of  fruitfulness,  which  is  the  result  and  test  of 
vitality.  For  he  who  abides  in  Christ  is  declared 
to  be  one  in  whom  Christ  abides ;  and  it  is  the 
life  of  Christ  which  brings  forth  fruit.  This  les- 
son is  enforced  by  pregnant  argument  and  strong 
assertion. 

"  As  the  branch  cannot  bear  fruit  of  itself  except  it  abide 
in  the  vine;  so  neither  can  ye  except  ye  abide  in  nie.  I  am 
the  vine,  ye  are  the  branches :  he  that  abidetli  in  nie,  and  I 
in  him,  the  same  bringeth  forth  much  fruit :  for  apart  from 
me  ye  can  do  nothing  "  (4-G). 

"Excellently,"  says  Bengel,  "does  this  place  set 
forth  the  distinction  of  nature  and  of  grace." 
Consequently  it  has  been  largely  handled  and 
variously  employed  in  the  questions  and  contro- 
versies arising  out  of  that  distinction.  Serious  as 
these  are  in  themselves,  and  necessary  in  their 
times,  we  need  not  advert  to  them  here.  They 
have  probably  done  as  much  to  mystify  as  to  edif}- 
those  who  have  been  occupied  in  them,  and  have 
tended,  in  the  attempt  at  logical  development,  on 
the  one  side,  to  a  depreciation  of  the  personal  and 
responsible  will  in  man,  to  which  this  whole  dis- 
course is  addi'essed ;  or  on  the  other,  to  an  opinion 
of  natural  sufficiency  and  a  virtual  detachment 
from  Christ,  which  it  is  the  aim  of  the  exhortation 
to  preclude.  ^Excellently,  indeed,  is  the  subject 
here  presented,  in  words  wliich  at  once  recognise 


XI  LIFE   AND   FKUITFULNESS  221 

the  essential  prerogative  of  nature,  and  assert  the 
indispensable  necessity  of  grace. 

The  subject  here  is  very  definite.  It  is  not  the 
relation  of  tlie  human  being  to  the  Eternal  Word 
in  respect  of  all  moral  action,  but  that  of  the 
Christian  to  Christ  in  respect  of  the  fruits  of 
spiritual  life.  The  "  ye  "  who  are  addressed  are 
members  of  the  Church,  regarded  as  branches  in 
the  vine  ;  and  all  that  is  said  is  within  the  revealed 
economy  under  which  they  are.  The  branch  must 
abide  in  the  vine,  and  that  by  a  true  and  vital 
inherence,  in  order  to  its  bearing  fruit  which  in 
nature  and  quality  is  really  fruit  of  the  vine  ;  i.e.^ 
that  evangelical  righteousness  (supernatural,  as 
old  writers  used  to  call  it)  which  cannot  be  orig- 

1  Christ  in  tliis  place  makes  his  simile  to  consist  only  in  this, 
that  as  the  vine-branch  derives  all  its  vigour  and  sap  for  pro- 
ducing grapes  from  the  vine,  so  likewise  must  a  believer  draw 
from  the  gi-ace  of  Christ  all  the  nutriment  and  power  needful 
for  producing  supernatural  works.  But  there  is  this  distinc- 
tion to  be  drawn,  that  a  man,  in  that  he  is  a  rational  being, 
co-operates  with  grace,  and  that  freely.  This  the  branch  in  the 
vine  does  not  do,  because  it  is  but  a  piece  of  w'ood  devoid  of 
reason.  Now  it  is  the  result  of  man's  free  co-operation  that 
a  good  work  is  a  free  and  human  work,  even  as  it  is  because  of 
the  influx  of  grace  that  such  a  work  becomes  supernatural, 
worthy  of  God,  and  pleasing  to  Him. 

I  confess,  however,  that  the  co-operation  itself  of  free  will, 
is  also  of  grace,  in  this  sense,  that  unless  free  will  were  pre- 
vented, strengthened,  and  stirred  up  to  co-operation  by  gi*ace, 
and  unless  it  had  auxiliary  or  co-oi^erating  grace,  it  could  not 
co-operate  or  do  anything.  This  is  the  same  reason  by  which 
Christ  stimulates  his  disciples  to  abide  in  Him.  — C.  a  Lapide. 


222  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

inated  from  fallen  human  nature.  This  a  man 
cannot  bring  forth  "from  himself"  (J^'  eavrov), 
from  his  own  capabilities  and  resources.  "  For," 
it  is  added  (x^/ot?),  "apart  from  me  ye  can  do 
nothing  " ;  i.e.  in  a  state  of  severance  from  Me,  or 
in  action  that  is  separate  from  Me,  ye  can  accom- 
plish nothing,  nothing  of  the  kind  intended.  But 
this  sentence  goes  beyond  the  applications  of  it. 
To  use  Godet's  words,  "  The  theme  which  Jesus 
here  develops  is  not  that  of  the  impotence  of  the 
natural  man,  but  that  of  the  fruitlessness  of  the 
believer  left  to  his  own  powers.  Yet  it  is  evident 
that  the  second  of  these  truths  rests  upon  the 
first."  That  is  true ;  for  the  fruitlessness  of  the 
believer  in  the  case  supposed  is  but  the  result  of 
the  incompetence  of  nature.  Thus,  "  Without 
me  ye  can  do  nothing "  remains  as  a  first  prin- 
ciple of  Christianity,  and  a  fundamental  con- 
sciousness of  the  believer,  a  consciousness  exem- 
plified in  Apostolic  experience,  and  endorsed  in 
many  a  suggestive  saying.  "  We  are  not  sufificient 
of  ourselves  to  think  anything  as  of  ourselves  " ; 
"  I  laboured  .  .  .  yet  not  I,  but  the  grace  of  God 
which  was  with  me " ;  "I  live,  yet  not  I,  but 
Christ,  liveth  in  me." 

The  lesson  of  spiritual  inherence  in  Christ  is 
further  impressed  by  the  contrasted  history  which 
was  implied  in  the  words,  "  Apart  from  me  ye 
can   do  nothino."     "  If  a  man  abide  not  in  me," 


LIFE   AND   FRUITFULNESS  223 


whether  by  open  apostasy,  or  by  silent  unbelief, 
or  by  an  inward   deaclness  of  soul, — if  it  be  so 
with   him,  — what   then?     Of    the   issue   of    this 
Christless,  fruitless,  lifeless  state,  the  symbolism 
supplied  a  vivid  picture  in  the  common  dealing 
with  worthless  branches  and  in  the  familiar  scenes 
in  vineyards.     Such  a  man  "  was  cast  forth  as  a 
branch,  and   it   was  withered;    and   they  collect 
them  and  cast  them  into  the  fire,  and  they  burn." 
Two  stages  of  the  sad  story  are  indicated  by  two 
pairs  of  expressions,  given  in  different  tenses,^  — 
the  first  regarded  as  having  occurred ;  the  second, 
as  ensuing.     The  two  first  words  speak  for  them- 
selves :  "  cast  outside,  and  withered."     They  were 
at  that  very  time  exemplified  in  the  lost  member 
of  that  holy  company,  now  cast  forth  outside  it, 
and  his  soul  withered  by  disappointed  worldliness 
and  the  rancour  of  discontent.     By  other  charac- 
ters and  in  other  ways  the  like  result  is  reached ; 
and  round  the  true  Vine  tlie   ground  has   been 
often  strewed  with  branches  cast  out  and  withered. 
Sad  is  the    first  word   representing   severance  — 
severance  in  fact,  sometimes,  also,  in  form  —  from 
the   communion   of   the    faithful    and    from    the 
means  of   holy  influence,   and  from   the   position 
where  there  is  still  hope.     More  sadly  sounds  the 

1  The  aorists  (neivrh  i^X^e^,  l^wdvd-n)  express  the  point  of 
view  taken  by  the  foreseeing  mind  of  the  Speaker,  in  which  all 
is  seen  as  having  already  happened. 


224  THE  DISCOURSES  char 

second  word  in  the  ears  of  any  one  who  has 
watched  deterioration  of  spiritual  cliaracter,  and 
the  process  of  a  soul  growing  sere  and  shrivelled, 
under  the  power  of  the  world,  or  alienation  from 
the  truth.  These  things  are  witliin  tlie  sphere 
of  observation ;  those  which  follow  in  the  next 
process  are  beyond  it.  They  belong  to  a  final 
period,  and  are  the  work  of  other  agents,  known 
from  former  teachings  as  tlie  angels  of  judgment, 
who  sever  and  gather  and  cast  into  the  fire  that 
which,  in  final  issue  and  in  the  sight  of  the  all- 
seeing  Judge,  is  found  to  be  false  and  worthless. 

Short  is  tlie  parenthesis  of  needful  warning; 
and  then  the  Lord  reverts  to  the  happier  case 
with  which  He  had  begun,  "  He  that  abideth  in 
me,  the  same  bringeth  forth  much  fruit."  Now 
He  applies  it  to  the  hearers,  and  by  a  few  addi- 
tiojial  touches  makes  the  abiding  more  ex23licit 
and  the  fruitfulness  more  sweet. 

"If  ye  abide  in  nie,  and  my  words  abide  in  you,  ask 
■whatsoever  ye  will,  and  it  shall  be  done  unto  you.  Herein  is 
my  Father  glorified,  that  ye  bear  much  fruit,  and  so  shall  ye 
be  my  disciples  "  (7,  8). 

He,  then,  who  abides  in  Christ  is  one  in  whom 
the  words  of  Christ  abide.  His  words  (^pi'uxara) 
taken  as  principles  of  life,  guides  of  thought,  and 
motives  of  action,  are  bi-eathing  in  tliat  man's 
heart.     To  such  a  state  is  assigned  the  great  privi- 


XI  LIFE   AND   FKUITFULNESS  225 

lege  of  prevailing  pi-ayer,  with  all  its  manifold 
effects.  "Ask  "  (the  reading  alr/jaaade  instead  of 
alr/jaeaOe,  ye  shall  ask,  is  the  more  approved), 
"  Ask  Avhatsoever  ye  will,  and  it  shall  be  done 
unto  you."  It  is  a  charge  and  a  promise  of  gen- 
erosity truly  divine.  But  we  hear  it  as  addressed 
to  a  will  that  is  prompted  by  the  indwelling 
words,  and  to  desires  pertaining  to  the  life  in 
Christ.  Thus  the  faith  by  which  a  man  abides 
in  Him  is  neither  blank  nor  silent.  It  is  thoupfht- 
ful,  as  informed  by  his  words ;  it  is  prayerful,  as 
expectant  of  his  promise.  As  bearing  on  Christian 
fruitfulness,  how  comprehensive  is  the  promise! 
how  unrestricted  is  the  command  !  Can  we  hear 
it  without  sadness  ?  Why,  in  so  many  of  us,  has 
so  large  a  conception  been  answered  by  such  poor 
results?  We  are  humbled  in  the  presence  of 
these  words  ;  for  they  reprove  the  asking  and  the 
will  to  ask,  which  should  be  so  much  greater  than 
they  are.  We  seem  to  hear  St.  Paul's  remon- 
strance, as  if  from  the  lips  of  the  Lord,  "  Ye  are 
not  straitened  in  me,  but  ye  are  straitened  in  your 
own  hearts.  Now  for  a  recompense  in  the  same 
(I  speak  as  unto  my  children),  be  ye  also  enlarged" 
(2  Cor.  vi.  12). 

To  this  enlargement  in  will  and  prayer  the 
"  much  fruit "  is  attached.  This  is  a  productive- 
ness wdiich  appears  in  the  formation  of  character 
as  well  as  in  the  activity  of  work.     It  appears  in 

r 


226  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

the  development  and  manifestation  of  faith  and 
love,  of  righteousness  and  truth,  of  meekness  and 
patience,  of  generosity  and  devotion,  of  all  Christ- 
like dispositions  and  habits,  as  well  as  in  acts  of 
service  to  God  and  man,  in  labours  and  conflicts, 
in  conversion  of  sinners  and  influence  on  the 
world,  in  promotion  of  the  Gospel  and  extension 
of  the  Kingdom.  Both  character  and  work  go 
together  to  compose  those  "fruits  of  righteous- 
ness, which  are  by  Jesus  Christ  unto  the  glory 
and  praise  of  God"  (Phil.  i.  11). 

Those  Apostolic  words  return  an  articulate 
echo  to  this  personal  teaching  of  the  Lord  con- 
cerning fruits  of  righteousness  —  which  are  only 
by  Him  —  and  which  are  to  the  glory  of  God. 
That  last  thought  is  here  impressed  as  the  supreme 
motive  of  believers.  It  had  been  so  impressed  in 
the  first  teaching :  "  Let  your  light  so  shine  before 
men  that  they  may  see  your  good  works  and 
glorify  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven."  It  is  so 
in  this  last  teaching :  "  Herein  is  my  Father  glo- 
rified that  ye  bear  much  fruit."  ^  This  was  the 
motive  of  the  life  of  Jesus,  and  so  of  the  much 
fruit  which  it  produced;    and  his  disciples  must 

1  The  sentence  is  somewhat  involved,  but  the  meaning  is 
plain:  "In  this  (asking — obtaining)  is  my  Father  glorified, 
seeing  it  is  to  the  end  that  ye  may  bear  much  fruit"  ;  and  the 
arrangement  has  the  effect  of  connecting  the  glorification  of  the 
Father  more  immediately  with  the  divine  action  in  originating 
the  result. 


XI  LIFE   AND   FllUITFULNESS  227 

learn  of  Him  the  same  motive  and  the  same  pro- 
ductive life.  "So,"'  He  says,  "shall  ye  be  my 
disciples  "  ;  or  more  literally,  "  And  ye  shall  be- 
come my  disciples."  Such  they  were  already ; 
but  there  are  degrees  of  discipleship,  in  proportion 
as  the  lessons  of  the  Master  are  fully  learned  and 
more  worthily  exemplified.  So  it  was  with  these 
first  adherents.  True  disciples  they  were,  and 
more  advanced  disciples  they  soon  became,  real- 
ising the  ideal  in  themselves  and  also  before  the 
world.  The  title  is  in  a  special  sense  their  own, 
as  the  original  and  normal  Disciples,  and  it  remains 
their  own  to  all  generations.  There  is  a  gracious 
forecast  of  their  future  character  and  work,  and  a 
tone  of  affectionate  recognition  of  it,  in  the  closing 
words,  "  And  ye  shall  become  my  disciples." 


228  THE   DISCOUKSES 


CHAPTER   XII 

LOVE   AND   FRIENDSHIP 
XV.  9-16 

There  was  in  the  last  words  a  tone  of  gracious 
appropriation  ;  and  so  the  discourse  passes  natu- 
rally from  the  life  of  Christ  in  his  members  to 
the  love  of  Christ  to  his  friends. 

Indeed,  the  last  is  part  of  the  first ;  for  healthful 
vitality  and  productive  energy  are  not  the  whole 
of  life.  A  main  part  of  our  nature  lies  blank 
and  barren  without  the  genial  warmth  and  mutual 
play  of  the  affections.  It  would  be  so  in  spiritual, 
as  it  sometimes  is  in  natural,  experiences.  But 
our  Lord  will  not  have  it  so,  and  He  adds  to  the 
charge  of  abiding  in  his  life  the  attendant  lesson 
of  abiding  in  his  love. 

"Even  as  the  Father  hath  loved  me,  T  also  have  loved 
you;  abide  ye  in  my  love.  If  ye  keep  my  commandments, 
ye  shall  abide  in  my  love  ;  even  as  I  have  kept  my  Fatlier's 
coinmandinents,  and  abide  in  his  love.  These  things  have  I 
spoken  unto  you,  that  my  joy  may  be  in  you,  and  tliat  your 
joy  may  be  fulfilled.  This  is  my  commandment,  that  ye 
love  one  another,  even  as  I  have  loved  you.     Greater  love 


LOVE   AND   FKIENDSHir  229 


hath  no  man  than  this,  that  a  man  hiy  down  his  life  for  his 
friends.  Ye  are  my  fiiends,  if  ye  do  the  things  which  I 
command  you.  No  longer  do  I  call  you  servants,  for  the 
servant  knoweth  not  what  his  Lord  doeth  :  but  I  have  called 
you  friends ;  for  all  things  that  I  heard  from  my  Father  1 
have  made  known  unto  you  "  (9-10). 

Pleasant  are  the  words,  "  my  love,"  "  my  joy," 
"  my  friends  "  ;  and  they  come  home  to  our  hearts 
all  the  more,  because  spoken  to  individual  men, 
on  whom  at  the  moment  the  eye  of  affection  rests, 
the  men  of  whom  it  has  been  said  that,  "havino- 
loved  his  own  which  were  in  the  world,  he  loved 
them  unto  the  end."  Here  is  condensed  a  whole 
history  of  love  in  the  love  of  the  Father  to  the 
Son,  the  love  of  Jesus  to  his  people,  the  love  of 
his  people  to  one  another ;  each  stage  being  both 
the  source  and  the  standard  for  the  next.  Thus 
Jesus  stands  as  the  Mediator  of  love,^  receiving, 
bestowing,  transmitting  it.  The  love  of  the  Father 
here  is  specially  the  love  to  the  Son  incarnate,  to 
Jesus  as  man.  It  is  with  this  He  parallels  his 
own  love  to  his  people,  exalting  thereby  to  the 
highest  point  the  conception  of  its  nature  and  its 
fulness.     In  the  charge,  "  Abide  in  my  love,"  that 

1  "  Quod  ait,  '  Sicut  dilexit  me  Pater  et  ego  dilexi  vos';  non 
equalitatem  naturae  ostendit  nostrse  et  sute,  sicut  est  Patris  et 
ipsius,  set  gratiam  qua  ISrediator  Dei  et  hominum  est  homo 
Christus  Jesus.  Mediator  quippe  monstratur  cum  dixit,  '  Me 
Pater,  et  ego  vos.'  Nam  Pater  diligit  et  nos ;  sed  in  ipso" 
(Aug.,  in  loc). 


230  THE    DISC0UK8P:S  chap. 

meaning  is  plain ;  for  as  the  Father's  love  means 
not  mine  to  Him,  but  his  to  Me,  so  does  my  love 
mean  not  yours  to  Me,  but  mine  to  you ;  though 
in  each  case  the  responsive  love  is  involved.  We 
are  to  abide  or  continue  in  that  love  (as  it  is  said 
elsewhere,  "  Keep  yourselves  in  the  love  of  God  " 
(Jude  21),  as  one  would  abide  in  the  sunshine  by 
keeping  in  the  place  where  the  sunshine  falls. 
The  love  of  Christ  rests  on  the  way  of  obedience, 
and  shines  along  the  paths  of  his  commandments. 
The  keeping  his  commandments  does  not  create 
the  love,  any  more  than  walking  in  sunny  places 
creates  the  sunshine ;  and  accordingly,  the  ex- 
hortation is  not  to  seek  or  merit  or  obtain  the 
love,  but  to  remain  in  it  by  continuing  in  the  state 
and  life  to  which  alone  it  belongs.  Doubtless 
there  is  great  need  of  the  admonition  thus  ear- 
nestly given.  A  man  might  wander,  if  he  would, 
from  the  place  where  sunshine  falls,  to  follow 
some  divergent  path,  leading  into  shadow,  then 
into  gloom,  then  into  darkness ;  and  so  has  it  been 
with  some,  who  in  heedlessness  or  self-will,  yield- 
ing to  seductions  of  error  or  deceitfulness  of  sin, 
have  "turned  from  the  holy  commandment  de- 
livered to  them."  It  has  been  shown  in  previous 
words  how,  in  the  Gospel,  commandment  is  inter- 
woven with  love  ;  and  in  this  place  the  same 
truth  reappears,  but  glorified  by  the  most  sublime 
example.     "If  ye    keep   my    commandments,    ye 


xn  LOVE   AND   FRIENDSHU'  231 

shall  abide  in  my  love ;  even  as  I  have  kept  my 
Father's  commandments,  and  abide  in  his  love." 

It  is  a  touching  and  persuasive  addition  which 
the  Lord  makes  to  this  exhortation,  when  He  con- 
tinues, "  I  have  spoken  this  that  my  joy  may  be 
in  you,  and  that  your  joy  may  be  fulfilled."  There 
is  a  question  as  to  what  the  first  clause  intends ; 
whether  it  be  that  the  joy  that  I  have  in  you  may 
continue  (by  your  continuance  in  tlie  truth),  or 
that  the  joy  which  is  my  own  may  be  imparted,  so 
as  to  be  in  you  also.  It  is  interpreted  in  the  latter 
meaning  by  the  form  in  which  the  same  thought 
recurs  in  the  Prayer  :  "  These  things  I  speak  in 
the  world,  that  they  may  have  my  joy  fulfilled  in 
themselves  "  (xvii.  13).  What  is  this  joy  which 
is  his  and  shall  be  theirs?  Few  are  the  notes  of 
joy  while  He  is  in  the  flesh,  as  compared  with  the 
tones  of  sorrow.  It  is  an  exception  when  we 
read  (as  in  Luke  x.  21),  "  In  that  hour  Jesus  re- 
joiced in  spirit"  (or  in  the  Holy  Spirit).  That 
was  in  view  of  the  names  of  his  disciples  "  written 
in  heaven,"  and  of  the  effect  of  his  own  work  in 
the  revelation  of  saving  truth.  Its  nature,  again, 
is  intimated  in  the  joy  of  the  good  shepherd  in 
the  recovery  of  that  which  was  lost,  which  be- 
comes also  the  joy  of  his  friends  and  neighbours. 
Doubtless  there  was  a  deep  and  mighty  joy  in 
the  glory  to  the  Father,  the  overthrow  of  evil, 
and    the  salvation  of  men,   that  stirred  his  soul 


232  TPIE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

amid  the  sorrows  of  the  present;  but  then  the 
scene  of  it  lay  rather  in  the  future ;  even  as  it  is 
written,  "  For  the  joy  tliat  was  set  before  him,  he 
endured  the  cross,  despising  the  shame "  (Heb. 
xii.  2).  When  the  issue  was  reached,  and  the 
results  were  manifested,  this  joy  was  shared  b}- 
"  friends  and  neighbours,"  not  only  in  heaven,  but 
in  earth.  How  it  wrought  in  the  hearts  of  the 
Apostles  appears  in  those  fervent  rejoicings  for 
salvation  ministered  and  diffused,  which  abound 
throughout  the  Epistles.  We  see  there  how  true 
it  was  that  his  joy  was  in  them,  and  that  their 
own  joy  was  fulfilled.  This  interpretation  may 
therefore  stand,  as  given  in  the  following  para- 
phrase after  other  interpretations  have  been  con- 
sidered :  — 

"Lastly,  the  words  'in  you'  may  be  taken  simply  just 
as' they  stand;  tlius,  'These  things  have  I  spoken  unto  you,' 
that  my  joy,  with  which  I  rejoice  concerning  the  glory 
of  God  and  the  salvation  of  the  whole  world  to  be  accom- 
plislied  by  me,  I  may  transfuse  into  you,  as  my  Apostles 
and  fellow-workers;  and  that  this  joy  may  increase  as  your 
labours  and  your  fruit  increase  ;  until  it  be  fulfilled  in  this 
life,  but  yet  more  completely  in  the  life  to  come."  ^ 

Tliis  state  of  love  and  joy  is  protected  and" 
maintained  by  its  own  laws  and  commandments. 
This  condition  has  been  premised  already,  and  is 
now  sealed  by  the  repetition  of  the  commandment, 

1  a  Lapidc,  p.  155. 


LOVE   AND   FRIENDSHIP  23S 


most  comprehensive  of  others,  and  most  distinct- 
ive of  the  Gospel,  which  is  itself  an  injunction  of 
love  and  joy :  "  It  is  my  commandment,  specially 
mine  (as  before  ?/  tvroXi)  t)  t/^')),  tliat  ye  love 
one  another,  as  I  have  loved  yon."  So  the  motive 
and  the  rule,  the  grace  and  the  duty,  the  love  be- 
stowed and  the  love  enjoined,  are  bound  together. 
This  is  the  legislation  of  the  Gospel,  and  in  this 
fashion  we  are  "  under  law  to  Christ."  ^ 

Of  the  words,  "As  I  have  loved  you,"  the 
crowning  evidence  and  exemplification  is  at  hand. 
"  Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that  a  man 
lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends."  No  greater 
proof  of  love  can  be  given ;  no  higher  standard  set. 
In  both  senses  the  Evangelist  felt  the  power  of 
the  saying,  and  echoed  it  in  after  days.  "  Hereby 
know  we  the  love,  because  he  laid  down  his  life 
for  us;  and  we  ought  to  lay  down  our  lives  for 
the  bretliren "  (1  John  iii.  16).  In  a  few  hours 
the  act  spoken  of  would  be  accomplished,  and  that 
consciousness  was  in  the  heart  of  the  Speaker. 
Yet,  in  these  discourses,  this  is  the  sole  direct 
allusion  to  the  fact.  That  is  a  circumstance  which 
deserves  attention,  for  it  is  an  illustration  of  the 
mind  of  Christ.  See  Him  in  the  upper  room, 
and  then  in  Gethsemane,  and  you  feel  the  self- 
suppression,  or  (may  I  say?)  the  self-adjournment, 
which  love   to  his  own   imposed.     To   them    He 

1  /ijj  uiv  dvofjLOS  GeoO,  dXX'  ivvofxoi  Xpiarov  (1  Cor.  ix.  21). 


234  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

dedicates  these  hours.  Their  consolation  and  in- 
struction is  the  business  now  ;  and  the  teachings, 
which  are  to  tell  on  all  their  after  life,  shall  not 
be  broken  by  agitating  enquiries,  or  confused  by 
overwhelming  thoughts.  The  coming  event  will 
speak  for  itself.  It  is  not  kept  secret,  but  is  with- 
drawn from  immediate  notice  ;  and  is  presented 
now  in  a  single  aspect,  as  the  great  act  of  love, 
and  of  love  to  friends.  It  had  a  larger  purpose 
and  effect.  "  Christ  died  for  all,"  —  "  gave  liim- 
self  a  lansom  for  all,"  —  "  died  for  the  ungodly,"  — 
"not  for  our  sins  only,  but  also  for  the  whole 
world."  Bat  with  special  intention,  and  in  the 
issue  with  full  effect.  He  laid  down  his  life  for  his 
friends  ;  and  this  is  the  thought  of  the  moment, 
while  He  looks  on  the  men  before  Him,  first 
members  and  fit  representatives  of  that  dear  com- 
pany, and  says  to  them,  "  Ye  are  my  friends,  if  ye 
do  the  things  that  I  command  you." 

Only  once  have  we  heard  this  address  before, 
in  an  exhortation  which  naturally  prompted  a 
tone  of  special  sympathy :  "  I  say  unto  you,  my 
friends,  be  not  afraid  of  them  that  kill  the  body  " 
(Luke  xii.  4).  But  the  relation  had  ever  subsisted 
in  a  measure,  both  with  these  men,  and  with  others, 
like  the  family  of  Bethany,  in  the  kindly  inter- 
course of  the  past ;  and  the  title  is  now  conferred 
because  the  reason  given  for  it  exists  as  never 
l)efore,  in  the  communications  and  confidences  of 
these  closing  hours. 


:ai  LOVE   AND   FKlENUSllir  235 

"  No  longer  do  I  call  you  servants;  for  the  servant  know- 
eth  not  wliat  his  lord  doetli :  but  I  have  called  you  friends; 
for  all  things  that  I  heard  from  my  Father  I  have  made 
known  unto  you." 

Servants  (^SovXoi,  bond-servants)  they  were,  and 
servants  they  continued  ;  and  the  title  was  dear 
to  them,  as  descriptive  of  their  place  in  the  great 
household,  and  of  the  employment  which  was 
honour  and  joy.  And  so  they  loved  to  use  it,  and 
place  it  in  the  first  line  of  their  writings,  "  Simon 
Peter,  a  servant  of  Jesus  Christ"  (1  Pet.  i.  1)  ; 
"  Jude,  a  servant  of  Jesus  Christ "  (v.  1)  ;  "  Paul, 
a  servant  of  Jesus  Christ"  (Rom.  i.  1).  If  they 
had  ceased  to  be  servants,  they  had  ceased  to  be 
friends.  The  familiar  attitude,  which  some  have 
thought  to  be  Christian,  disqualilies  for  the  Mas- 
ter's friendship.  But  true  servants  of  the  Lord 
of  all  become,  by  his  own  grace,  his  friends.  He 
calls  them  so  because  He  makes  them  such,  by 
the  confidential  terms  to  which  He  admits  them. 
The  servant  (SoOXo?),  as  such,  knows  not  what 
his  lord  is  doing ;  for  he  knows  only  the  task  set 
him,  and  just  does  as  he  is  told.  He  is  not 
informed  of  the  purposes,  nor  associated  with  the 
interests,  to  which  his  allotted  task  contributes. 
But  if  he  be  so  by  the  master's  will,  a  great 
change  has  come.  The  work  may  be  still  the 
same ;  but  now  it  is  done  with  intelligence  and 
sympathy,  with  a  sense  of  fellowship  in  the  under- 


.236  THE    DISCOURSES  chap. 

taking,  and  of  participation  in  the  master's  scheme 
and  aim.  Such  is  the  association  with  Himself 
which  Jesus  gives  to  his  servants.  "All  things," 
He  says,  "whicli  I  heard  from  my  Father,  I  have 
made  known  unto  3'ou."  I  have  admitted  you  to 
my  confidence  in  respect  of  the  charge  which  I 
have  from  my  Father,  and  made  you  partners 
with  Me  in  tlie  great  scheme  of  God.  This  is 
indeed  to  treat  us  as  friends ;  and  this  gives  the 
true  character  to  Christian  service.  An  intelli- 
gent apprehension  of  the  revelation  made  to  us,  a 
spontaneous  participation  in  the  mind  of  Christ, 
a  practical  adoption  of  his  interests  as  our  own,  a 
conscious  association  with  Him  in  life  and  work, — 
these  are  the  privileges  and  the  duties  of  those  to 
whom  Pie  says,  "  I  have  called  you  friends."  A 
practical  basis  is  given  for  tliis  experience  in  its 
connexion  with  "  what  the  Lord  doeth."  It  is  the 
work  of  Christ  in  the  world  which  engages  that 
service  which  becomes  friendship  ;  and  we  shall 
find  it  such,  not  as  mere  observers  and  approvers, 
but  as  active  participants  according  to  our  several 
vocations  and  ministries. 

The  privilege  of  being  servants  is  great ;  that  of 
being  friends  is  greater.  Some  good  men  limit 
themselves  to  the  first  experience,  without  ad- 
vancing to  the  second.  Lo3'al  in  duties,  they  do 
their  jtart,  and  tlicy  have  their  reward  ;  but  they 
rest  in  contracted  ideas,  and  live  on  distant  terms 


XII  LOVE   AND   FRIENDSHIP  237 

with  their  Master.  Content  witli  an  elementary 
faith,  they  have  little  interest  in  the  more  ample 
commnnications  of  truth,  of  which  it  is  said,  "  All 
things  that  I  have  heard  of  my  Father,  I  have 
made  known  unto  you."  Scarcely  looking  be- 
yond what  they  are  bound  to  do  themselves,  they 
miss  the  sense  of  association  with  what  "  the  Lord 
doeth." 

The  secret  of  a  true  friendship  is  revealed  in  this 
explanation.  That  does  not  consist  in  outward  re- 
lations or  circumstances,  though  these  may  become 
occasions  of  it.  It  consists  in  common  ideas  and 
common  interests,  in  fellowship  of  mind  and  fel- 
lowship of  action.  And  what  a  power  there  is  in 
it!  How  often,  among  ourselves,  does  the  friend- 
ship of  a  superior  mind  exalt  the  lower  character, 
enlarge  the  horizon  of  thought,  and  make  life 
more  worthy,  more  active,  more  interesting !  In 
the  highest  sense  and  fullest  measure  must  these 
effects  attend  a  friendship  with  our  Lord  and 
Master.  What  ideas  can  be  so  elevating  as  those 
which  He  has  heard  of  his  Father,  and  made 
known  unto  us?  What  interests  can  be  so  en- 
nobling as  those  which  we  share  with  Him  in 
conscious  contribution  to  his  work  in  the  world? 
And  these  ideas  and  interests  are  not  confined  to 
the  cultured  and  the  few.  In  every  rank  there 
are  friends  of  Christ,  who  receive  his  confidences 
and  share  in  his  designs. 


238  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

To  this  service  and  fellowship  Jesus  had  called 
the  disciples.  The  initiative  was  his,  not  theirs; 
so  He  reminds  them.  "  Ye  did  not  choose  me, 
but  I  chose  you."  Some  have  read  these  words, 
as  intending  election  to  eternal  life ;  but  that  is 
out  of  keeping  with  our  Lord's  whole  habit  of 
speech,^  and  also  with  the  drift  of  the  present 
words,  in  respect  to  tlie  actual  position  of  service 
and  fellowship,  and  again  with  the  use  of  the 
same  verb  concerning  the  same  persons  in  other 
places.^  The  choice  was  followed  by  appointment 
for  work  and  its  results.  "  I  set  (or  placed)  you, 
that  ye  should  go  and  bear  fruit,  and  that  your 
fruit  should  abide,  that  whatsoever  ye  shall  ask 
the  Father  in  my  name,  he  may  give  it  you." 
That  which  had  been  said  before  is  here  recalled, 
in  order  to  connect  it  with  the  special  objects  for 
which  the  Apostles  were  set  or  constituted  in  their 
assigned  position.  At  the  same  time,  the  fruitful- 
ness  expressed  in  the  previous  allegory  receives 

1  St.  Augustin,  both  in  this  passage  and  elsewhere  (lib.  i. 
ch.  17,  de  Prcedest.  Sanct.),  understands  by  this  choosing  the 
predestination  of  God :  I  have  predestinated  you,  and  cliosen 
you,  witliout  any  merits  of  your  own,  to  glory.  But  this  does 
not  agree  rightly  with  the  words,  "  Ye  have  not  chosen  me.''- 
For  neither  could  the  Apostles  choose  Christ  to  heavenly  glory  ; 
nor  does  Christ  here  seem  to  have  wished  to  reveal  his  pre- 
destination to  the  Apostles.  For  this  He  Himself  is  wont  to 
attribute  to  the  Father.  —  C.  a  Lapidk. 

2  eT\iyo/j.ai,  to  choose  out  for  one's  self.  Luke  vi.  I'-i,  John 
vi.  70,  Acts  i.  2,  all  of  choosing  to  aijostlesliip. 


LOVE   AND   FRIENDSHIP  239 


here  a  significant  addition,  suggesting  more  dis- 
tinctly the  character  of  apostolic  fruitfuhiess. 
"  Tliat  ye  should  go  "  implies  their  77ussion  as  in 
the  mind  of  the  Speaker,  and  "that  your  fruit 
should  remain  "  is  a  forecast  of  its  enduring  effect. 
The  fulfilment  of  that  forecast  is  before  us  still, 
in  the  continuance  of  the  faith  which  they 
preached  and  of  the  Church  which  they  founded. 
But  not  to  Apostles  only  does  this  word  belong. 
How  much  fruit  remains  from  godly  lives  in  every 
age,  in  lasting  institutions,  enduring  books,  hymns 
that  are  sung  from  age  to  age,  in  names  by  which 
the  world  is  made  better,  in  propagated  influences 
of  truth  or  goodness,  in  ministries,  perhaps  humble 
and  obscure,  but  which  issue  in  the  eternal  life  of 
the  saved ! 

It  is  a  noble  and  a  Christian  ambition  which 
aspires  to  prolong  the  useful  effects  of  life  on 
earth  beyond  its  appointed  span ;  and  surely  this 
enduring  character  belongs  more  or  less  to  all 
good  service.  It  is  a  word  both  of  exhortation 
and  assurance  for  all  members,  servants,  and 
friends  of  Christ.  "  I  have  set  you,  that  ye  should 
go  and  bear  fruit,  and  that  your  fruit  should 
remain." 


240  THE    DISCOURSES 


CHAPTER   XIII 

ENMITY    OF   THE    WORLD 
XV.  17-25 

The  discourse  is  now  to  enter  upon  another 
region  of  tliouolit;  following  the  future  course  of 
the  disciples  it  must  pass  into  the  world.  The 
dividing  line  is  (hawn  in  the  words, — 

"  Tliese  things  I  enjoin  you,  to  the  end  that  ye  may  love 
one  another." 

Most  commentators  (as  Luthardt  and  Godet) 
make- the  sa)'ing  the  conclusion  of  the  preceding 
section.  Others  (as  Westcott)  read  it  as  an  intro- 
duction to  that  which  follows.  Surely  it  is  both. 
It  is  a  dividing  line  and  a  connecting  link.  Such 
is  the  effect  of  a  like  phrase  in  other  places.^ 
Here  the  expression  intends,  not  a  summary  of 
what  has  been  taught,  but  one  i)ractical  concliT- 
sion  from  it;  namely,  the  precept  of  nuitual  love 
as  })roper  to  UKiii  who  are  in  conunon  relations  of 
union    and    friendship    with    their    Ivord,   such    as 

1  xiv.  2[>,  XV.  11,  xvi.  1,  25,  ;]3. 


ENMITY    OF   THE    WORLD  241 


liave  been  iiiifolded  in  tlie  preceding  words.  But 
the  saying  is  at  the  same  time  an  introduction 
to  the  instructions  which  ensue ;  for  tliis  precept, 
delivered  but  a  moment  before,  is  repeated  here, 
not  simply  for  the  sake  of  imj)ression,  but  specially 
for  its  bearing  on  the  experiences  now  to  be  de- 
scribed. It  Ijcars  upon  them  as  contrasted  with 
them,  and  as  providing  against  them.  The  love 
to  be  maintained  within  the  company  of  Christ  is 
sharply  contrasted  with  the  hatred  to  be  encoun- 
tered outside  it;  and  tlic  uniting  bond  among 
believers  is  shown  to  be  a  practical  necessity,  in 
view  of  the  coming  conflict  with  the  unbelieving 
world.  So  the  Evangelist  in  his  Epistle,  enlarging 
on  the  charge  which  he  liere  records,  contrasts  and 
connects  this  love  and  tins  hatred,  in  order  to 
impress  on  a  later  generation  this  lesson  of  his 
Lord.  "  This  is  the  message  which  ye  heard  from 
the  beginning,  that  we  should  love  one  another. 
.  .  .  Marvel  not,  my  brethren,  if  the  world  hateth 
you.  We  know  that  we  have  passed  out  of  death 
into  life,  because  we  love  the  brethren.  He  that 
loveth  not,  abideth  in  death"  (1  John  iii.  11,  13, 
14).  The  urgent  language  of  the  then  aged 
Apostle  evinces  the  pain  with  which  he  saw  divis- 
ions and  antagonisms  rising  among  Christians 
themselves,  and  threatening  to  bring,  as  they  have 
since  brought,  the  evil  spirit  of  the  world  into  the 
heart  of  the  Church. 

Q 


242  THE    DISCOURSES  chap. 

But  on  the  evening  of  the  farewell,  these  dangers 
lay  in  the  distance,  though  in  the  reiterated  in- 
junction the  foresight  of  them  appears.  The  need 
then  Avas  to  prepare  the  minds  of  the  chosen  band 
for  the  experiences  of  the  mission  and  conflict 
which  were  before  them.  This  is  done  in  the  rest 
of  the  discourse  by  combining  premonitions  of 
trial  with  promises  of  support.  The  world  rising 
against  them  and  the  Spirit  coming  to  their  help 
form  the  picture  of  their  future  work,  as  followers 
and  agents  of  Jesus  after  He  is  gone.  Following 
the  mingled  flow  of  these  warning  and  animating 
words,  we  shall  observe  two  stages  in  the  devel- 
opment of  the  situation,  —  the  first  given  in  xv. 
18-27,  the  second  in  xvi.  1-15.  Each  presents  a 
view  of  the  antagonism  of  the  world,  called  forth 
by  the  testimony  to  Jesus,  and  of  the  power  of  the 
Spirit  by  which  the  testimony  will  be  sustained ; 
but  the  first  stage  gives  the  principles  of  the  con- 
flict, the  second  enters  into  its  details. 

It  has  been  remarked  by  Luthardt  that  the  dif- 
ference of  subject  in  Chapter  XV.  is  characterised 
by  difference  of  expression.  In  the  first  half  of  the 
chapter  there  is  an  entire  absence  of  connecting 
particles  (a  feature  technically  expressed  by  the 
word  "asyndeton");  in  the  second,  the  particles 
of   connexion   (and,    but,  etc.)   reappear.^     "  The 

1  In  his  "Introduction,"  vol.  i.  p.  41,  Luthardt  observes 
on  the    construction    and    form   of    sentences.     "Asyndeton 


XIII  EXMITY   OF   THE    WORLD  243 

emotion  of  the  heart,"  says  Luthardt,  "  expresses 
itself  in  asyndeton."  So  it  does ;  but  emotion  is 
not  all  the  reason  for  this  manner  of  expression. 
The  former  section  announced  spiritual  truths 
which  dwell  as  separate  oracles  on  the  memory; 
the  latter,  predicting  historical  facts,  takes  the 
tone  in  which  one  tells  what  happens  in  the  Avorld. 
The  difference  is  worth  noting,  as  a  mark  of  dis- 
tinction between  the  two  sections  of  the  discourse. 
The  members  of  Christ  who  share  his  life,  the 
friends  of  Christ  who  share  his  love,  are  also 
followers  of  Chi'ist  who  share  his  work  :  and  they 
must  find,  as  He  has  found,  what  jpainful  experi- 
ences attend  it.  Thus  the  discourse  must  pass 
from  the  secret  sanctuary  to  the  outlying  scene, 
and  from  the  personal  relations  with  Jesus  to  the 
consequent  relations  with  the  world.  The  atmos- 
phere is  changed  in  a  moment.  Within  is  the 
breath  of  love  ;  without  are  the  blasts  of  hatred. 

"If  the  world  hateth  you  —  (it  is  expressed  not  as  a  con- 
tingency, but  as  a  fact)  —  If  the  world  hateth  you,  ye  know 
that  it  has  hated  me  before  (it  hated)  you. 

"  If  ye  were  of  the  world,  the  world  would  love  its  own  ; 
but  because  ye  are  not  of  the  world,  but  I  chose  you  out  of 
the  world,  therefore  the  world  hateth  you. 

lays  thoughts  and  sentences  utterly  bai'e,  side  by  side,  without 
special  note  of  their  mutual  relation.  It  is  partly  a  sign  of  the 
plain  statement  of  what  is  to  be  reported,  partly  the  product  of 
a  deep  perception  of  the  mutual  relation  of  the  matters  in 
question.  It  desires  that  others  obtain  the  same  jierception 
in  its  native  purity." 


244  THE   DISCOURSES  chai-. 

"Remember  tlie  woi'd  that  I  said  unto  you.  A  servant  is 
not  greater  than  his  lord.  If  they  persecuted  me,  they  will 
also  persecute  you;  if  they  kept  my  word,  they  will  keep 
yours  also. 

"  But  all  these  things  will  they  do  unto  you  for  my  name's 
sake,  because  they  know  not  him  that  sent  me  "  (18--21). 

The  world !  It  is  a  comprehensive  and  com- 
plex term,  vaguely  extending  over  all  regions  and 
races  and  ages.  It  presents  mankind  as  a  whole, 
but  especially  as  self-developed  in  congregated 
numbers  and  social  communities,  and  consequently 
discovering  the  predominant  spirit,  and  exhibiting 
in  high  relief  the  character  of  human  nature  as  it 
is.  The  world  thus  fashioned,  thus  inspired,  thus 
characterised,  is  everywhere,  but  most  in  its  cen- 
tres and  citadels.  It  is  diffused  over  the  hills  of 
Galilee  and  concentrated  in  the  schools  of  Jerusa- 
lem ;  it  shouts  in  a  theatre  at  Ephesus  and  rules 
in  the  palace  of  the  Csesars ;  it  is  in  aristocracies 
and  democracies,  in  the  classes  and  the  masses,  in 
secular  companies  and  ecclesiastical  corporations, 
in  marts  of  business  and  resorts  of  pleasure. 
Under  various  conditions  of  society  and  in  dif- 
ferent degrees  of  intensity,  the  world  realises 
itself  in  all  races  and  orders  and  places  and  times'. 
But  in  the  midst  of  this  immense  variety,  what  is 
it  which  constitutes  tiie  unity,  and,  as  it  were, 
personality,  in  which  the  world  is  regarded,  and 
which   a   frequent  use  of   its  name  in  Scripture 


ENMITY   OF   THE   WORLD  245 


represents?  It  may  be  answered  that  the  world 
is  one,  in  virtue  of  the  mind  and  spirit  which  per- 
vades it ;  in  virtue  of  (what  in  a  larger  sense  we 
may  call)  its  tvorldliness,  being  a  God  to  itself, 
deriving  its  principles,  aims,  and  instincts  from 
the  things  that  are  in  the  world.  It  becomes  one 
in  virtue  of  the  moral  condition  thus  created, 
which  is  at  its  root  alienation  from  God. 

That  spirit  had  now  been  tested  and  exposed  by 
the  great  embassy  of  love ;  and  the  test  had  been 
applied  under,  what  might  seem,  the  most  hopeful 
conditions.  The  Jewish  world,  in  which  Jesus 
appeared,  was  in  a  higher  moral  state  than  were 
the  nations ;  it  was  prepared  by  previous  revela- 
tion;  it  had  the  form  of  knowledge  and  of  the 
truth  in  the  law;  it  had  godly  traditions  and 
associations,  and  was  familiar  with  a  religious 
language,  which  made  the  embassy  intelligible  at 
once.  All  tlie  more  on  these  accounts  did  that 
people  show  what  is  the  inbred,  inveterate  char- 
acter of  the  spirit  of  the  world  by  its  attitude 
towards  Him  who  was  sent  from  God.  "  He  was 
in  the  world,  and  the  world  knew  him  not;  he 
came  unto  his  own,  and  his  own  received  him 
not."  But  there  was  worse  than  incapacity  to 
know,  and  refusal  to  receive ;  these  rose  in  resent- 
ment, and  settled  into  hatred.  It  was  painfully 
felt.  "  The  world,"  He  had  said  to  his  brethren, 
"cannot  hate  you,  but  me  it  hateth,  because    I 


246  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

testify  of  it  that  the  works  thereof  are  evil " 
(vii.  7).  The  hatred  grew  more  active  as  the 
testimony  grew  more  clear,  and  it  was  now  reach- 
ing consummation  in  the  final  crime. 

Jesus  speaks  now  of  this  hatred,  because  his 
followers  must  inherit  it;  in  order  not  only  to 
warn  them  of  what  they  will  meet,  but  also  to  give 
them  the  support,  which  will  be  felt  in  a  knowledge 
of  the  nature  of  the  case  and  a  sense  of  communion 
with  Himself. 

Why  should  these  men,  with  their  simple  char- 
acters and  good  intentions,  be  objects  of  hatred  to 
the  world  ?  But  why  should  He  have  been  so, 
who  came  with  larger  love  and  more  ample  bene- 
fits ?  If  it  hates  you  (the  indicative  affirms  it  as 
fact),  if  it  hates  you,  ye  know  (or  rather,  know 
ye)  that  it  hated  me  first  of  you  (e'/^te  irpcoTov  vfxoiv 
fjbe/xio-rjKe'),  an  expression  by  which  He  ranks  more 
clearly  Himself  and  them  together.^  In  their  case, 
as  in  his,  this  hatred  has  its  root  in  an  instinctive 
sense  of  inward  severance  and  of  a  different  origin. 
"  If  ye  were  of  the  world  (born  of  and  belonging 
to  it),  the  world  would  love  its  own,"  recognising 
its  own  family  likeness,  with  such  love  as  is  natu- 
ral to  it.2     "  But  because  ye  are  not  of  the  world;" 

1  So  sometimes  in  English.     E.g.  Milton,  — 

"  Adam,  the  godlicst  man  of  men  since  born; 
The  fairest  of  her  daughters,  Eve." 

2  The  love  {i(t)i.\ei)  is  that  of  nature,  and  not  of  moral  choice 
(dydwaTe).  —  Westcott. 


xiii  ENMITY  OF   THE    WORLD  247 

but  on  the  contraiy,  I  chose  you  out  of  the  world, 
into  my  own  likeness  and  fellowship,  on  that 
account  the  world  hates  you.  All  commentators 
observe  how  strongly  the  substantive  reality  and 
antagonistic  character  of  the  world  are  empha- 
sised by  the  word  five  times  repeated  in  this  single 
verse. 

Such  is  the  hidden  root  of  the  hatred.  Its 
manifestations  follow  naturally ;  and  here  also  the 
saying  on  the  relation  of  master  and  servant  will 
apply.  "Remember  the  word,  the  word  that  I 
said  unto  you.  A  servant  is  not  greater  than  his 
lord."  It  is  indeed  a  word  to  be  remembered  by 
servants  of  Jesus  Christ ;  for  it  turns  many  ways 
and  teaches  many  lessons.  Lately  (xiii.  16)  it 
taught  the  duty  of  a  like  humility  of  service ; 
now  it  impresses  the  fitness  of  a  like  treatment 
and  endurance.  Shall  the  servants  claim  to  be 
exempted  from  that  which  the  Master  bare  ?  In 
so  far  as  they  do  the  same  work  and  speak  the 
same  word,  they  must  reckon  on  the  same  response. 
"If  they  persecuted  me"  (He  says),  "they  will 
also  persecute  you;  if  they  kept  my  word,  they 
will  keep  yours  also."  The  world  is  no  longer 
spoken  of  in  its  unity.  The  plural  admits  variety 
of  action  ;  and  perhaps  the  second  clause  may  sug- 
gest a  greater  opening  for  the  effect  of  the  word 
as  compared  with  the  treatment  of  the  speaker. 
But  the  disciples  are  to  judge  from  past  observa- 


248  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

tion  what  they  have  to  look  for,  both  in  treatment 
of  themselves  and  in  reception  of  their  word. 
Only  they  have  received,  in  the  relation  between 
their  Lord's  histoiy  and  their  own,  a  strong  sup- 
port and  consolation.  The  worst  that  may  come 
to  them  will  be  the  consequence  and  the  evidence 
of  their  communion  with  Him  in  spirit  and  in 
work,  and  will  bear  the  blessed  impress  of  his 
name.  What  power  lay  in  the  word,  "All  these 
things  will  they  do  unto  you  for  my  name's 
sake  "  !  That  thought  was  more  than  support  and 
consolation ;  it  became  exultation  and  joy.  Very 
soon  will  these  men  encounter  the  rising  persecu- 
tion, in  imprisonment,  scourgings,  and  counsels  to 
slay  them ;  and  they  will  "  return  from  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Council  rejoicing  that  they  are  counted 
worthy  to  suffer  shame  for  the  name  "  (inrep  tov 
6v6fxaro<i,  Acts  v.  41). 

It  will  be  for  his  name ;  but  what  does  that 
imply?  Jesus  will  not  leave  the  question  unan- 
swered ;  He  will  go  below  the  surface,  and  show 
the  truth  of  the  situation,  as  it  is  sadly  present  to 
his  mind.     He  continues  :  — 

"  For  my  name's  sake,  because  they  know  not  him  that 
sent  me. 

"If  I  had  not  come  and  spoken  unto  them,  they  had  not 
had  sin  ;  but  now  they  have  no  excuse  for  their  sin. 

"  He  that  hateth  me,  liateth  my  Father  also. 

"  If  I  had  not  done  among  them  the  works  which  none 


XIII  ENMITY   OF  THE   WOKLD  249 

ot.lier  did,  they  had  not  had  sin ;  but  now  have  they  both 
seen  and  hated  both  me  and  my  Father. 

"  But  (this  Cometh  to  pass),  that  the  word  may  be  fulfilled 
which  is  written  in  their  law.  They  hated  me  without  a 
cause"  (21-25). 

"  They  know  not  him  that  sent  me,"  —  that  is 
at  the  root  of  all.  Having  no  real  acquaintance 
with  the  Sender,  they  could  not  recognise  Him 
that  was  sent.  Rejection  of  the  Son  was  the  con- 
sequence of  alienation  from  the  Father;  and  this 
has  been  made  clear  by  the  searching  character  of 
the  mission,  and  l)y  its  appeal  in  word  and  deed. 
Bishop  Westcott  brings  out  the  parallel  of  the  two 
appeals  by  simple  ari-angement  of  the  clauses. 

"  If  I  had  not  come  and  spoken  to  them,  they  had  not  had 
sin, 
But  now  they  have  no  excuse  for  their  sin  : 

He  that  hateth  me,  hateth  my  Father  also. 
"  If  I  had  not  done  among  them  the  works  which  none  other 
did,  they  had  not  had  sin  : 
But  now  tliey  have  both  seen,  and  hated  both  me  and 
my  Father." 

To  have  sent  the  Word  would  have  been  a  great 
favour;  but  to  eome  ami  speak  was  more.  The 
personal  presence  fulfilled  the  part  of  "  Him  that 
should  come  "  ;  the  speaking  in  common  language 
and  natural  tones  brought  the  message  home.  It 
was  spoken  heart  to  heart  and  face  to  face.  And 
if  visible  evidence   was   needed,  visible   evidence 


250  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

was  given  by  Avorks,  sucli  works  as  none  other  did. 
In  kind,  in  nnmber,  in  power,  in  deep  significance, 
they  stand,  and  will  ever  stand,  absolutely  alone,  — 
one  entire  testimony  of  the  Father  to  the  Son. 

But  for  these  appeals  and  evidences,  "  they  had 
not  had  sin,"  —  sin,  that  is,  in  this  matter,  sin  in 
unbelief.  The  absence  of  evidence  would  have 
been  real  excuse.  Is  there  not  a  sound  of  divine 
equity  in  the  saying,  and  of  mercy  which  will 
make  allowance  where  allowance  can  be  made  ? 
But  now,  as  things  are,  they  have  no  pretext  to 
cover  the  guilt  of  unbelief.  It  is  not  ignorance,  or 
misinformation,  or  mistake.  It  is  sin.  It  springs 
from  aversion,  and  ripens  into  hatred :  and  hatred 
of  whom  ?  "  He  that  hateth  me  hateth  my  Father 
also  "  ;  for  the  mind  and  spirit  in  Me,  which  repels 
them,  is  the  mind  and  spirit  of  my  Father;  and 
the  claims  which  they  resent  from  Me  ai-e  the 
claims  which  I  make  for  my  Father.  All  has 
been  clearly  set  before  them,  with  the  result  that 
"  they  have  both  seen  and  hated  both  Me  and  my 
Father." 

A  sad  result,  indeed,  of  the  great  experiment. 
Yet  one  that  might  be  expected ;  for  it  also  is 
fulfilment:  fulfilment  of  anticipations  which  past 
examples  might  create ;  fulfilment  of  reflections 
stamped  on  the  sacred  page,  uj^on  the  conduct  of 
men  noted  in  history  or  foreseen  in  prophecy ; 
fulfilment  especially  of  sad  voices  breathing  in  the 


xiii  ENMITY   OF   THE    WORLD  251 

Psalms,  and  making  their  own  Scriptures  —  "  their 
law,  which  they  use  and  boast "  (Bengel)  —  a 
testimony  against  themselves.  Yes,  it  is  written 
more  than  once,  and  is  now  fulfilled  more  dis- 
tinctly than  ever  before,  "  They  hated  me  without 
a  cause "  (hoypedv),  gratuitously,  with  no  cause 
given  by  Him  Who  is  hated,  but  all  the  reason  in 
the  heart  of  the  haters.  Whether  the  words  are 
an  echo  of  Ps.  xxxv.  19,  or  (more  probably)  of 
Ps.  Ixix.  4,  they  are  not  to  be  taken  alone.  Here, 
as  in  many  of  our  Lord's  citations,  a  single  line 
intimates  the  presence  to  his  mind  of  the  whole 
Scripture  in  which  it  occurs;  and  these  Psalms 
serve  beyond  others  to  describe  the  situation 
created  for  Him  by  human  enmity,  and  to  supply 
fit  expressions  for  the  facts  and  feelings  of  the 
moment.  It  is  one  of  the  many  evidences  that 
the  Scriptures  are  living  in  his  heart,  as  receiving 
in  his  own  history  their  highest  and  intended 
fulfilment. 


252  THE   DISCOURSES 


CHAPTER   XIV 

WITNESS   TO   THE   WORLD 

XV.  26,  27 

Thus  have  the  disciples  been  warned  and  in- 
formed in  respect  of  their  relations  with  the  world. 
The  true  state  of  the  case  up  to  the  present 
moment  is  before  them,  —  a  sad  summary  of  their 
Master's  history,  and  a  dark  forecast  of  their  own 
prospect. 

But  light  rises  on  the  darkness.  After  all,  the 
last  word  has  not  been  spoken,  nor  are  the  resources 
of  God  exhausted.  There  is  a  power,  still  in 
reserve,  destined  to  bring  new  witness  to  Jesus 
and  the  truth.  The  Paraclete,  already  promised 
as  Comforter  to  the  disciples,  shall  prove  his  char- 
acter of  Advocate  in  the  great  cause  which  is  yet 
to  be  pleaded  before  the  world. 

"  But  when  the  Comforter  is  come,  whom  I  will  send  unto 
you  from  the  Father,  even  the  Spirit  of  truth,  which  pro- 
ceedeth  from  the  Father,  he  shall  bear  witness  of  me  : 

"  And  ye  also  bear  witness,  because  from  the  begiuniug 
ye  are  with  me  "  (26,  27). 


XIV  AVITNESS   TO   THE   WOELD  253 

Veiy  fully  and  precisely  does  the  Lord  designate 
the  agent  who  is  destined  to  come  upon  the  scene. 
He  is  the  Paraclete,  now  to  develop  a  distinct 
element  in  the  larsfe  significance  of  that  name.  I 
will  send  Him  to  you  from  the  Father.  He  is  the 
Spirit  of  truth  which  proceedeth  from  the  Father. 
He  (eVeti^o?,  personal  and  emphatic),  He  shall  bear 
witness  concerning  Me. 

There  is  large  revelation  and  guidance  for 
thought  in  these  words,  eacli  particular  having 
force  in  the  direction  of  theological  statement,  but 
here  bearing  intentionally  on  the  historical  mission 
of  the  Spirit.  This  definite  mission  is  expressed 
by  the  future,  "  I  will  send,"  the  action  of  the 
Sender  being  emphasised  by  the  use  of  the  pro- 
noun (^e<yoi  Treyui/rco)  ;  while  in  the  later  clause  the 
present  tense,  "  who  proceedeth,"  marks  this  send- 
ing as  a  special  stage  in  a  going  forth  that  is  con- 
tinuous and  of  old.  The  use  also  of  the  preposition 
irapd  in  both  clauses  makes  the  passage  a  state- 
ment on  the  active  mission,  not  an  abstract  doc- 
trine on  the  eternal  procession,  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
The  twofold  phrase,  "the  Spirit  of  truth  which 
proceedeth  from  the  Father,"  raises  the  truth  in- 
tended above  all  partial  or  secondary  senses  to  the 
highest  conceivable  ideal. 

The  object  of  this  mission  is  briefly  expressed, 
to  be  enlarged  afterwards,  in  its  proper  i)lace, 
"  He  shall  bear  witness  concernincj  me."     Christ 


254  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

is  the  power  for  life  and  healing  in  the  world; 
but  for  this  He  must  be  known.  He  has  not 
been  known  in  his  personal  manifestation  ;  He  is 
to  be  known  by  testimony,  —  a  method  which 
has  the  advantage  of  extending  to  all  mankind 
through  all  ages.  The  first  witness  being  given 
once  for  all,  is  propagated  to  the  end  of  time. 
From  the  beginning  to  the  end  it  is  a  witness 
concerning  Christ. 

The  witness  is  twofold  —  that  of  the  Paraclete, 
and  that  of  the  Apostles  —  but  the  two  form  one 
testimony.  There  is  a  reason  for  each :  for  that 
of  the  Paraclete,  because  He  is  "  the  Spirit  of 
truth  which  proceedeth  from  the  Father  "  ;  for  that 
of  the  Apostles,  "  because  ye  are  with  me  from 
the  beginning,"  —  the  beginning,  that  is,  of  the 
manifestation  and  ministry.  They  are  witnesses 
of- facts,  of  words  and  deeds,  of  im^Dressions  which 
they  have  received  in  personal  observation  and 
liabitual  intercourse.  This  nearness  to  the  person 
of  Jesus,  and  companionship  through  all  his  tfme, 
is  recognised  as  a  qualification  for  his  commissioned 
witnesses,  as  St.  Peter  states  at  the  appointment 
of  Matthias,  "  Of  these  men  which  have  companied 
with  us  all  the  time  that  the  Lord  Jesus  went  in 
and  out  among  us,  beginning  from  the  baptism  of 
John  unto  the  day  that  he  was  received  up  from 
us,  must  one  become  a  witness  with  us  of  his  resur- 
rection "  (Acts  i.  21,  22).      And  this  qualification 


WITNESS   TO   THE   WORLD  255 


is  constantly  insisted  on  in  their  teaching.  "  We 
cannot  but  speak  the  things  which  we  have  seen 
and  heard,"  —  "We  are  witnesses  of  all  things 
which  he  did "  ;  and  so  they  speak  continually. 
On  this  testimony  the  Church  is  founded,  holding 
the  historic  facts,  as  St.  Luke  says,  "  even  as  they 
delivered  them  unto  us,  which  from  the  beginning 
were  eye-witnesses  and  ministers  of  the  word" 
(i.  2). 

St.  John  in  his  old  age,  solemnly  concluding  the 
apostolic  testimony,  uses  words  which  involve  the 
twofold  witness  of  the  senses  and  of  the  Spirit. 

"  That  which  was  from  the  beginning,  which  we  have 
heard,  which  we  have  seen  with  our  eyes,  that  which  we 
beheld,  and  our  hands  have  handled,  concerning  the  AVord 
of  life  (and  the  life  was  manifested,  and  we  have  seen,  and 
bear  witness,  and  declare  unto  you  the  life,  the  eternal  life, 
which  was  with  the  Father,  and  was  manifested  unto  us)  ; 
that  which  we  have  seen  and  heard  declare  we  unto  you  also, 
that  ye  may  have  fellowship  with  us"  (1  John  i.  1-3). 

The  witness  of  the  senses  and  natural  impres- 
sions is  supplied  by  that  which  is  seen  and  heard 
and  looked  upon  and  handled.  The  witness  of  the 
Spirit  gives  assurance  that  all  this  is  "concerning 
the  Word  of  life,"  and  is  a  manifestation  of  the 
life,  "  the  eternal  life  which  was  with  the  Father." 
"  It  is  the  Spirit  which  beareth  witness  because  the 
Spirit  is  truth."  The  historic  facts  of  word  and 
deed,  of  passion,  resurrection,  ascension,  are  mys- 


256  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

teries  as  well  as  facts,  revelations  of  the  unseen. 
Their  true  character  and  effect  may  be  —  from  the 
nature  of  the  case  they  must  be  —  felt  by  instinct- 
ive apprehension,  and  deduced  by  necessary  infer- 
ence ;  but  more  than  this  was  needed  for  the  clear 
view  and  certain  testimony  of  these  transcendental 
truths.  The  heavenly  things  needed  a  heavenly 
witness  to  interpret  and  certify  them.  The  disci- 
ples would  feel  the  need.  The  more  exalted  were 
their  own  apprehensions  of  all  that  had  passed 
before  them  the  more  would  they  feel  that  these 
thoughts  were  too  great  for  them,  passing  into 
"  the  deep  things  of  God,"  and  calling  for  a  higher 
teaching  than  that  of  a  human  understanding  and 
reason.  At  the  time  that  Jesus  is  speaking,  they 
scarcely  know  what  their  mission  will  involve,  in 
the  fulness  and  grandeur  of  the  witness  to  be 
given ;  but  they  will  know  it  soon,  and  at  the 
same  time  will  feel  the  presence  of  anotlier  mind 
than  their  own,  which,  in  them,  and  witli  them, 
will  testify  of  Christ.  When  this  witness  came 
it  consisted  in  a  distinct  conscious  experience,  in 
the  recognised  unity  of  a  common  inspiration, 
in  concurrent  influence  on  other  souls,  in  sudden 
communications  of  light  and  power,  and  in  mani- 
fold preternatural  gifts,  all  converging  in  support 
of  the  one  Gospel,  and  the  testimony  to  Jesus  as 
the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  and  to  the  life  that  is 
thi'out>h  liis  name.     In  the  streno-th  of  tliis  twofold 


XIV  WITNESS   TO   THE    AVUIILD  257 

witness  the  Apostles  stood  forth  before  the  world : 
"  We  are  witnesses  of  these  things,  and  so  is  also 
the  Holy  Ghost  which  God  has  given  to  them  that 
obey  him"  (Acts  v.  32). 


258  THE   DISCOURSES 


CHAPTER   XV 

TREATMENT   BY    THE   WORLD 
XVI.  1-7 

If  the  Speaker  had  been  only  giving  information, 
or  treating  of  a  subject,  He  would  have  continued 
the  account  of  the  witness  of  the  Spirit  to  the 
world  by  telling  what  He  was  about  to  tell  of  its 
character  and  effects.  If  we  omit  the  first  seven 
verses  of  this  chapter,  then  the  prediction  proceeds 
in  order :  ^  He  shall  bear  witness  of  me,  and  ye 
also  shall  bear  witness ;  and  when  he  is  come  he 
shall  reprove  the  world,"  etc.  But  these  are  words 
of  love ;  and  the  emotions  and  anxieties  of  love 
break  in  on  the  course  of  consecutive  thouofht. 
The  situation  created  by  "ye  also  shall  bear  wit- 
ness "  is  before  the  mind  of  Jesus ;  that  in  which 
He  will  leave  these  men  who  are  to  be  with  Him 
no  more,  but  to  witness  for  Him  to  the  world. 
Why  has  He  spoken  thus  concerning  the  world  and' 
its  hatred  ?  There  was  need  for  such  words  then  •, 
there  would  be  greater  need  soon. 

"  These  things  have  I  spoken  unto  you,  that  ye  should  not 
be  offended.     They  shall  put  you  out  of  the  synagogues: 


TREATMENT   BY   THE    WORLD  259 


yea,  the  hour  cometh,  that  whosoever  Idlleth  you  shall  thiuk 
that  he  offereth  service  to  God.  And  these  things  will  they 
do,  because  they  have  not  known  the  Father,  nor  me.  But 
these  things  have  I  spoken  unto  you,  that  when  their  hour 
is  come,  ye  may  remember  them,  how  that  I  told  you.  And 
these  things  I  said  not  unto  you  from  the  beginning,  because 
I  was  with  you.  But  now  I  go  unto  him  that  sent  me ;  and 
none  of  you  asketh  me,  Whither  goest  thou?  But  because 
I  have  spoken  these  things  unto  you,  sorrow  hath  filled  your 
heart.  Nevertheless  I  tell  you  the  truth  ;  It  is  expedient 
for  you  that  I  go  away:  for  if  I  go  not  away,  the  Com- 
forter will  not  come  unto  you ;  but  if  I  go,  I  will  send  him 
unto  you  "  (1-7). 

These  are  words  of  considerate  forethought,  and 
of  sympathy  with  trials  that  are  coming  and  with 
sorrow  that  is  come  ;  but  are  spoken  on  account 
of  danger,  and  rather  for  safety  than  for  comfort, 
as  it  is  said,  "  that  ye  shoukl  not  be  offended."  ^ 
The  word  denotes,  not  the  displeasure  or  pain  of 

1  The  words  (ffKdvdaXov,  <TKav8a\l^u,  offence  and  offend)  be- 
long to  the  region  of  Christian  thought  (Vox  solum  biblica  et 
ecclesiasticse.  —  Geimm).  The  idea  is  that  of  an  obstacle  in 
the  path,  against  which  the  foot  strikes,  with  the  shock  to  the 
frame  and  feelings  which  all  know,  and  with  the  effect  of  causing 
the  man  to  stumble  or  fall,  or  perhaps  to  cease  following,  and 
turn  out  of  the  way.  This  is  what  the  English  ' '  offend ' '  properly 
means.  Our  common  use  of  the  word  has  rather  limited  its 
impression  to  the  shock  of  personal  displeasm-e  ;  and  the  Revised 
Version,  to  avoid  that  impression,  has  generally  dropped  the 
word,  and  substituted  "  cause  to  stumble,"  often  with  so  clumsy 
an  effect  as  to  make  it  one  of  the  blots  of  the  version.  It  is 
better  to  keep  "offend"  as  a  biblical  word  used  in  its  proper 
sense. 


260  THE   DISCOURSES 


these  experiences,  but  the  shock  which  they  woukl 
give  to  faith  by  contrariety  to  what  seemed  just 
expectations,  and  to  old  religious  associations. 
Instead  of  a  manifestation  to  the  world  which  the 
disciples  thought  to  behold,  there  was  to  be  only 
a  testimony  which  they  themselves  must  give ; 
instead  of  a  restoring  the  kingdom  to  Israel,  the 
scorn  and  hatred  of  Israel  itself,  with  the  strange 
distress  of  persecution  by  religious  authorities,  with 
consent  of  religious  people,  acting  from  religious 
motives.  These  things  were  of  a  kind  to  perplex 
the  mind,  stagger  faith,  and  imperil  their  witness 
for  their  Master,  or  even  their  adherence  to  Him. 
The  main  points  of  these  experiences  are  touched 
in  few  words,  and  with  explanations  which  ought 
to  satisfy.  They  shall  put  you  out  of  the  syna- 
gogues (^d7roa-vva<ycojov<i  TroDJaovatv  vfxd<i^,  an  ex- 
communication from  fellowship  with  their  people, 
not  only  bringing  painful  consequences,  but  in 
itself  most  distressing  to  religious  minds.  Yea, 
more  than  that,  —  every  one  who  kills  you  will 
think  that  (Xarpetav  irpoa^epei}  he  offers  an  act 
of  devotion  to  God.  Strange  condition  of  mind ! 
Yet  one  well  within  the  capacities  of  misinformed 
conscience  and  the  curious  resources  of  self-deceit. - 
Not  only  on  the  part  of  Jews,  but  within  the 
Church  itself,  sad  illustrations  have  abounded  of 
this  kind  of  "  service  to  God,"  often  in  extremest 
forms,  commonly  in  minor  persecutions.     To  those 


XV  TREATMENT   BY   THE   WORLD  261 

who  had  to  suffer  from  this  perverted  zeal  it 
would  be  a  support  to  know  that  it  proceeded 
from  ignorance.  They,  will  do  these  things  be- 
cause they  have  not  known  {ovk  eyvtoaav},  did  not 
recognise  what  was  before  them  in  the  revelation 
of  the  Father  and  the  Son.  As  it  was  with  Jews 
who  persecuted  Christians,  so  with  Christians  who 
have  persecuted  Jews,  and  with  Christians  who  have 
persecuted  Christians.  Things  have  been  done 
"to  the  glory  of  God"  and  "in  the  name  of 
Christ,"  of  which  He  who  looks  down  from  heaven 
could  only  say,  "  They  have  not  known  the  Father 
nor  me." 

However  (so  we  may  understand  the  words), 
enough  has  been  said  for  the  purpose,  which  is  in 
the  future  rather  than  the  present.  When  the 
hour  is  come,  you  will  remember  these  warnings, 
and  that  it  was  I  (eyo)')  who  told  you;  and  all 
that  happens  will  recall  this  evening  and  my  fore- 
seeing love. 

But  these  warnings  were  not  new;  hence  the 
next  words  present  no  little  difficulty  both  to 
readers  and  expositors :  "  These  things  I  said  not 
unto  you  from  the  beginning,  because  I  was  with 
you."  Passing  intimations  of  trial  are  not  incon- 
sistent with  this  statement,  as  not  being  distinct ; 
neither  would  the  prediction  in  Matt,  xxiii.  9  be  so, 
clear  as  is  its  announcement  of  tribulation,  hatred, 
and  death ;  for  those  words  are  themselves  part  of 


202  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

the  final  prophecy,  and  spoken  but  two  days  be- 
fore these.  But  it  is  otherwise  with  the  words  in 
Matt.  X.  16-25,  for  they  are  both  early  and  distinct. 
Some  commentators  have  satisfied  themselves  by 
saying  that  the  former  teaching  on  persecution 
was  comparatively  dim  ;  but  it  is  not  so  with  this 
passage,  which  stands  in  the  first  Gospel  at  the 
beginning  of  the  apostolic  commission.  Critics 
who  arrange  things  as  they  please  consider  this  to 
be  an  instance  of  the  habit  of  that  Gospel  to  con- 
solidate scattered  teachings,  in  this  case  recording  as 
at  first  what  was  really  spoken  at  last.  This  is  a 
violent  supposition;  and,  moreover,  the  passage 
has  its  appropriate  fitness  in  the  place  assigned  it. 
The  Twelve  are  chosen,  and  receive  a  charge, 
and  are  sent  forth  on  a  short  experimental  mission 
prelusive  to  their  future  work.  The  Lord  foresees 
what  that  future  work  will  be,  and  his  words  (as  is 
common  with  Him),  beginning  with  that  which 
is  at  hand,  pass  on  to  that  which  follows.  He 
sees  them  delivered  up  to  councils,  and  scourged 
in  synagogues,  and  brought  before  governors  and 
kings  for  his  sake,  and  for  a  testimony  to  Jews 
and  Gentiles ;  and  here  only,  in  all  the  previous 
teaching  occurs  the  promise  of  the  Spirit  as  sus- 
taining their  words  and  speaking  in  them.  Thus 
He  did  say  these  things  "  at  the  beginning,"  when 
the  Twelve  first  became  Apostles,  as  indeed  was 
proper  to  the  occasion.     But  the  Authorised  Ver- 


XV  TREATMENT   BY   THE   WORLD  263 

sion  augments  tlie  difficulty  by  giving  a  defective 
translation.  The  word  (f^  ^PXV^^  ^^  ^^^^  '^^■>  ^^^'  ^^ 
in  the  Revised  Version,  front  the  beginning,  and 
is  distinct  even  from  the  usual  form  so  rendered 
(aTT  apx'}?)-  It  is  used  only  in  one  other  place 
(vi.  64),  where  also  it  refers  to  the  beginning  of 
apostleship,  and  means  literally  out  of,  or  forth 
from,  the  beginning,  expressing,  in  conjunction 
with  the  tense  which  follows  (el-jrov),  consequence 
and  continuity.  Thus  we  hear  the  Lord  as  saying 
that  after  the  first  He  has  not  been  used  to  tell 
them  of  these  things  because  He  was  with  them, 
and  these  experiences  lay  then  in  the  future,  and 
there  were  other  subjects  for  his  intercourse  with 
them  from  which  these  darker  thoughts  might 
divert  their  minds.  The  children  of  the  wedding 
do  not  fast  while  the  Bridegroom  is  with  them. 
It  is  otherwise  Avhen  He  must  be  taken  away  from 
them  ;  and  that  time  is  now. 

"  Now,"  He  resumes,  "  I  go  unto  him  that 
sent  me."  So  recurs  the  ever-present  thought 
which  ought  to  awaken  enquiry  leading  into  faith 
and  hope.  To  this  the  disciples  could  not  rise. 
"  None  of  you  asketh  me,  Whither  goest  thou  ?  " 
Some  time  before  Peter  had  asked,  and  Thomas 
had  implied  it ;  but  these  had  been  voices  of  deso- 
late perplexity,  and  there  was  no  real  spirit  of 
enquiry,  because  sorrow  had  filled  their  hearts. 
So  sorrow  works  when  it  fills  the  heart,  keeping 


264  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

out  everything  but  itself,  like  a  heavy  cloud  over 
the  mind,  excluding  lights  that  should  be  breaking 
in,  and  sometimes  in  the  darkness  shewing  as 
simply  evil  things  which  are  really  good.  Jesus 
knew  their  sorrow  as  that  of  nature  and  affection ; 
and  He  felt  for  it  in  all  tenderness,  as  still  He 
does  in  other  cases  where  sorrow  fills  the  heart. 

"  Nevertheless,"  He  says,  "  I  tell  you  the  truth. 
It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away."  Strange 
as  it  sounds  to  you,  it  is  the  truth,  and  it  is  I  who 
tell  it  to  you  (the  arrangement  and  the  use  of  the 
personal  pronoun  are  emphatic).  It  is  for  your 
interest  and  advantage  that  I  go  away.  There  is 
loss  and  gain ;  but  the  loss  itself  is  gain,  as  Au- 
gustin  frequently  insists,  and  as  all  more  spiritual 
thinkers  expound.  It  has  been  often  shewn  how 
the  withdrawal  of  the  visible  presence  of  Jesus 
was  for  the  disciples  salutary  progress  and  advance. 
In  these  arguments  two  leading  ideas  may  be  dis- 
tinguished. It  was  the  end  of  tutelage  which 
would  have  kept  them  children,  and  the  removal 
of  a  veil  which  would  have  kept  them  carnal. 
The  first  reason  is  incidental  to  the  natural  con- 
stitution of  man ;  the  second  is  inherent  in  the 
supernatural  scheme  of  things. 

It  belongs  to  human  nature  in  childhood,  or  in 
stages  analogous  to  childhood,  to  be  formed  by 
external  supervision,  and  in  maturity  to  be  set 
free  from  it ;  and  there  is  a  time  when  prolonged 


XV  TREATMENT   BY   THE    WORLD  265 

supervision  would  not  promote,  but  arrest,  ma- 
turity. The  greater  independence  of  judgment 
and  action  has  its  risks ;  but  the  virtue  of  the 
child  who  is  kept  right  is  of  a  less  perfect  charac- 
ter than  that  of  the  man  who  keeps  right  himself. 
The  time  had  come  when  it  was  better  for  these 
disciples  to  pass  out  of  the  first  stage  of  discipline 
into  one  which  would  test  the  principles  and 
powers  they  had  gained,  and  to  exchange  the  eye 
ever  upon  them,  the  \vord  ever  in  their  ears,  the 
visible  presence  which  had  made  their  life  and 
safety,  for  a  state  in  which  service,  loyalty,  and 
love  Avould  be  strengthened  by  more  independent 
exercise,  and  an  obedience  of  sight  would  become 
obedience  of  faith.  It  was  good  for  tliem  to  be 
with  Jesus ;  it  was  better  to  prove  that  they  had 
been  with  Him.  Even  in  this  sense  it  was  expe- 
dient for  them  that  He  should  go  awa3^ 

But  this  was  the  more  superficial  gain.  Still 
more  necessarj^,  in  the  order  of  grace,  was  the 
removal  of  the  veil  which  would  have  kept  them 
carnal.  The  presence  of  Christ  in  the  flesh,  so 
great  a  help  to  the  life  which  they  had  lived, 
would  be  a  hindrance  to  the  life  which  they  were 
to  live ;  for  it  must  have  kept  their  minds  in 
relation  to  Him  in  the  region  of  the  visible,  the 
corporeal,  the  external.  While  He  sat  there  be- 
fore them  in  the  body,  it  was  hard  to  enter  into 
the  mj^stery  of  a  spiritual  union,  or  duly  to  appre- 


20(5  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

hencl  the  divine  in  the  human.^  Man  is  by  nature 
slow  to  pass  beyond  sight  and  sense  and  the  affec- 
tions which  these  can  generate.  Indeed,  there 
has  been  too  much  evidence  in  historical  Chris- 
tianity of  the  disposition  to  "know  Christ  after 
the  flesh,"  and  to  fashion  his  religion  to  a  corre- 
sponding character.^     His  warning  on  that  subject 

1  Aiigustin  is  frequent  on  this  point.  In  his  Sermon  on  the 
passage  CXLIII.,   "  Merito   dictum  est,  Expedit  vobis  nt  ego 

Vddam.  Semper  quidem  divinitate  vobiscum  est ;  sed,  nisi  cor- 
poraliter  abiret  a  nobis,  semper  ejus  corpus  carnaliter-videremus, 
et  nunquam  spiritualiter  crederemus."  Again  in  CCLXX., 
"Videtur  mihi  quod  discipuli  circa  formam  humanam  Domini 
Cliristi  fuerunt  occupati,  et  tanquam  homines  in  liomine  liu- 
mano  tenebantur  affectu.  Volebat  autem  eos  affectum  habere 
divinum,  et  de  carnalibus  facere  spirituales.  .  .  .  Carnales  vero 
esse  desistetis,  si  forma  carnis  a  vestris  oculis  auferatur,  ut 
forma  Dei  vestris  cordibus  inseratur." 

2  "True  it  is  that,  wliile  it  is  the  glory  of  the  Cluirch of  Rome 
to  have  preserved  the  Confession  of  Clirist,  tlie  Son  of  the  living 
God,  through  so  many  ages,  notwithstanding  the  open  assaults 
and  insidious  snares  of  numberless  forms  of  heresy,  that  Church 
has  ever  been  especially  apt  to  lose  sight  of  the  spiritual  and 
divine  truth  in  the  outward  human  form.  She  has  been  unable 
to  recognise  how  it  was  expedient  that  Christ  should  go  away. 
She  has  never  been  content,  unless  she  could  get  something 
present,  —  a  vicar,  images,  outward  works,  actual  sacrifices  with 
priests  to  offer  them,  real  flesh  and  real  blood.  She  chose, 
rather,  to  defy  the  evidence  of  the  senses  than  not  to  have  an 
object  of  sense.  Yes,  assuredly  it  is  a  great  sin  of  the  Church 
of  Rome,  that,  in  the  words  of  Augustin,  '  amabat  Dominum 
Jesum  Christum,  sicut  homo  hominem,  slcut  carnalis  carnalem, 
non  sicut  spiritualis  majestatem.'  This,  however,  has  been 
a  great  difficulty  in  all  ages  and  under  all  forms  of  the 
Church."  —  Hake's  3Iission  of  the  Comforter,  Note  C. 


TREATMENT   BY   THE    WORLD  267 


was  connected  with  the  lesson  of  his  departure. 
"  What,  then,  if  ye  shoukl  behold  the  Son  of  Man 
ascending  up  where  he  was  before?  It  is  the 
spirit  that  quickeneth ;  the  flesh  profiteth  nothing  ; 
the  words  that  I  have  spoken  to  you  are  spirit  and 
are  life"  (vi.  62,  63).  For  this  reason,  and  in 
the  same  sense.  He  may  well  say,  "  It  is  expedient 
for  you  that  I  go  away." 

But  the  removal  of  hindrances  is  here  not  the 
cause  of  the  advantage  asserted,  but  only  the  con- 
dition of  it.  The  cause  of  advantage  is  not  in 
greater  maturity  or  spirituality  of  mind,  but  in  the 
coming  of  the  Taraclete.  "  If  I  go  not  away,  the 
Comforter  will  not  come  unto  you,  but  if  I  go  I 
will  send  him  unto  you."  There  is  precision  in 
the  language  which  the  English  can  barely  indi- 
cate. Two  words  for  "  go  "  are  used,  —  the  one 
(ctTreXOco}  denotes  departure  from  the  place  left 
—  in  this  case,  from  earth  and  men;  the  other 
(TTopeu^ftj),  passage  to  the  place  and  the  end 
sought — in  this  case,  to  heaven  and  God.  The 
first  is  an  inevitable  incident;  the  second  is  the 
effectual  act.  Before  this  Jesus  had  said  He 
would  send  the  Spirit  if  He  went  to  the  Father ; 
here  He  says  He  cannot  send  Him  till  He  does. 
It  is  an  impossibility  noted  elsewhere  (vii.  39). 
"The  Spirit  was  not  yet,  because  Jesus  was  not 
yet  glorified."  One  stage  of  the  dispensation 
must   be    finished   before    the    next   ensues  ;    and 


2G8  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

rights  of  gift  must  be  purchased  before  they  are 
used.  There  must  be  departure  fiom  one  scene 
of  action  to  another ;  and  the  departing  steps  must 
be  death,  resurrection,  ascension.  Then,  when 
men  are  redeemed  and  the  Son  of  Man  is  glorified, 
the  conditions  will  be  fulfilled,  and  the  Spirit  will 
be  his  to  give,  and  theirs  to  receive.  These  quali- 
fying conditions  are  not  now  to  be  expressed. 
When  they  have  occurred  they  will  be  understood 
under  the  Spirit's  teaching.  Now  it  is  enough, 
"  If  I  go,  I  will  send  him  unto  you." 


CONVICTION   OF   THE   WORLD  260 


CHAPTER   XVI 

CONVICTION   OF   THE   WORLD 
XVI.  8-11 

The  discourse  returns  to  the  point  which  it  had 
reached  before  (xv.  26,  27),  and  resumes  the  sub- 
ject of  the  witness  to  the  world.  It  was  to  be  a 
twofold  witness,  b}^  the  Paraclete  and  by  the  dis- 
ciples ;  and  the  mention  of  their  part  in  it  had 
diverted  the  course  of  thought  to  the  trials  which 
it  would  involve  for  them.  Love  had  delayed  for 
a  moment  in  order  to  recognise  and  provide  for 
these  experiences.  Now  the  Lord  continues  the 
prediction  of  the  mission  of  the  Paraclete,  still 
associated  with  that  of  the  disciples,  as  shewn  by 
the  last  words,  "  I  will  send  him  {7Tpo<;  u/ia?)  to 
you.'"'  There  is  no  mission  to  the  world  but 
through  them.  So  the  account  of  this  mission 
divides  itself  into  two  parts,  —  one  of  conviction 
to  the  world  ("•  When  he  is  come  he  shall  convict 
the  world ") ;  one  of  teaching  to  the  disciples 
("  When  he  is  come  he  shall  guide  you  into  all 
the  truth  "). 

The  first  account  is  given  in  a  few  words,  which 


270  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

yet  describe  the  nature  of  the  witness,  discriminate 
its  subjects,  and  intimate  its  effect. 

"  He,  when  he  is  come,  will  convict  the  world  in  respect 
of  sin,  and  of  righteousness  and  of  judgment ;  of  sin,  because 
they  believe  not  on  me;  of  righteousness,  because  I  go  to 
the  Father,  and  ye  behold  me  no  more ;  of  judgment,  because 
the  prince  of  this  world  is  judged  "  (8-11). 

Here  are  large  subjects  and  pregnant  principles 
of  thought  described  in  brief  expression.  That 
makes  exposition  difficult,  —  a  difficulty  (so  I  have 
found)  rather  augmented  than  i-elieved  by  study 
of  numerous  commentaries  and  disquisitions. 

[It  may  be  of  preliminary  use  to  notice  the  inadequacy 
of  our  language  to  supply  a  precise  rendering  of  the  original. 
We  have  no  exact  equivalent  for  (eAeyfet),  the  word  ren- 
dered in  Authorised  Version  '  reprove,'  and  in  Revised  Version 
'  convict.'  The  English  Hexapla  shews  these  other  renderings, 
'  lie  shall  reprove  the  worlde  of  synne,  righteousnesse,  and 
doom  '  (Wycliffe)  ;  '  lie  will  rebuke  the  worlde  of  synne,'  etc. 
(Tyndal  and  Cranmer)  ;  '  He  shall  argue  the  world  of  sin,' 
6tc.  (Rheims).  The  Revised  Version  translates  the  word, 
which  is  frequent  in  New  Testament,  differently  in  different 
passages  :  in  one  (Matt,  xviii.  15),  '  shew  him  his  fault ' ;  in 
many,  '  reprove ' ;  in  more,  '  convict.'  '  Reprove '  would 
answer  well  enough,  if  taken  in  its  old  sense  of  confuting 
and  proving  the  contrary,^  for  the  Greek  word  expresses  an 

1  Reprove  :  from  Fr.  reprouver,  Lat.  reprobare,  to  prove  the 
contrary  of  a  statement,  refute,  disprove. 
What  doth  your  arguing  reprove.  —  Job  vi.  25. 
If  it  shall  require  to  teach  any  truth,  or  reprove  false  doctrine, 
or  rebuke  any  vice.  —  Homilies,  p.  8, 1.  24. 

Reprove  my  allegation  if  you  can, 
Or  else  conclude  my  words  effectual. 

—  Shakespeare,  Henry  VI.,  III.  1.  40. 
Aldis  Wright,  Bible  Word  Book,  p.  50(3. 


XVI  CONVICTION   OF   THE    WORLD  271 

argument  to  show  that  a  way  of  thinking  is  wrong  in  order 
to  set  it  right ;  but  as  '  reprove '  now  conveys  a  diiferent 
impression,  the  word  '  convict '  may  serve  best. 

"  But  it  will  require  explanatory  construction  ;  for  though 
to  '  convict  a  man  of  sin '  is  an  English  idiom,  to  '  convict 
him  of  righteousness'  is  not.  So  we  must  preserve  the  force 
of  the  preposition  {irtpi),  'about,  concerning,  in  respect  of.' 
The  statement  will  then  be  clear  that  the  Spirit  will  convict 
the  world  of  false  ideas  and  grave  mistakes  concerning  sin, 
righteousness,  and  judgment. 

"  To  these  verbal  explanations  may  be  added  another  on 
the  word  'because,'  which  in  English  has  various  intentions. 
The  conjunction  (ort)  here  (as  often)  expresses  a  fact, 
alleged  as  a  reason  for  something  else  {e.g.  John  ii.  18, '  Wliat 
sign  shewest  thou,  seeing  that  thou  doest  these  things?' 
ix.  17,  '  What  sayest  thou  of  him,  in  that  he  opened  thine 
eyes?').  Thus  the  facts  are  given  as  reasons  by  which  the 
world  ought  to  be  convinced  'about  sin,  seeing  that  they 
believe  not  on  me,  about  righteousness,  seeing  that  I  go  to 
the  Father,  and  about  judgment,  seeing  that  the  prince  of 
this  world  is  judged.'  The  facts,  as  exhibited  by  the  Spirit, 
will  be  sound  reasons  for  these  convictions.] 

It  is  (we  observe)  to  the  world  that  this  argu- 
ment is  to  be  addressed,  —  the  world  which  has 
been  described  as  not  knowing  God  or  Christ,  as 
prone  to  hate  and  ready  to  persecute.  But  it  is 
not  to  be  let  alone  because  of  this  hostile  attitude, 
or  abandoned  to  this  evil  condition.  Divine  love 
does  not  retire  at  the  first  rude  repulse.  On  the 
contrary,  it  will  return  to  the  charge  with  fuller 
testimonies,  more  urgent  appeals,  and  on  a  wider 
field,  in  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost.     By  Plim 


272  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

the  clear  lio^lit  of  revelation  shall  be  thrown  on  all 
that  is  past,  and  the  true  state  of  the  case  between 
God  and  the  world  shall  be  definitively  stated. 

The  subjects  of  this  controversy  are  the  three 
great  topics  which  form  the  domain  of  conscience, 
and  involve  the  present  and  eternal  interests  of 
mankind,  —  Sin,  Righteousness,  Judgment.  The 
words  at  first  stand  alone,  and  are  not  to  be  read 
as  absorbed  into  the  clauses  which  follow.  They 
are  correlative  terms,  representing  the  ideas  of  a 
gi-and  trilogy  and  the  facts  of  an  awful  drama. 
These  are  the  subjects  of  the  old  controversy  which 
dates  from  the  fall  of  man,  which  the ,  prophets 
carried  on,  and  which  they  invoked  creation  to 
attend,  "  Hear,  O  ye  mountains,  the  Lord's  contro- 
versy, and  ye  strong  foundations  of  the  earth." 
But  now  a  change  has  come  over  it.  In  the  mani- 
festation of  the  Son  of  God,  the  controversy  has 
reached  its  climax  and  been  brought  to  the  point 
of  decision,  and  must  henceforth  be  conducted 
under  altered  conditions  and  with  other  argfu- 
ments  than  before.  Not  only  is  the  natural  ten- 
dency and  prevailing  sentiment  of  the  world  all 
wrong  on  these  great  subjects,  but  by  a  new  test 
this  has  been  more  than  ever  proved  to  be  the  case. 
Therefore  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  coming  with 
fresh  power  on  the  scene,  must  lift  up  a  standard 
against  it. 

The  standard  is    the   testimony   of   Jesus,  the 


XVI  CONVICTION   OF   THE    WORLD  273 

witness  to  be  borne  concerning  Him ;  for  that  goes 
straight  to  the  centre  of  these  questions,  as  being 
the  questions  that  He  came  to  solve.  In  Him  the 
crucial  test  has  been  applied  to  unbelief,  the  root  of 
sin.  In  Him  righteousness  has  been  first  realised 
in  man,  and  then  enthroned  with  God.  In  Him 
the  power  of  evil  has  been  overthrown  in  conflict 
and  left  under  sentence  of  judgment.  At  the  time 
of  speaking,  none  of  these  things  were  understood ; 
and  the  decisive  error  of  the  world  was  concen- 
trated in  its  error  on  the  person  of  Christ.  It  had 
not  believed  in  Him,  and  felt  neither  the  guilt  of 
the  unbelief  nor  the  state  of  sin  which  it  discov- 
ered. It  had  not  recognised  the  one  perfect  ex- 
ample of  righteousness;  on  the  contrary,  it  had 
counted  his  righteous  claims  to  be  crimes,  and 
reckoned  Him  among  the  transgressors.  It  saw 
judgment  executed,  not  by  Him,  but  against  Him, 
and  was  at  that  moment  delivering  Him  to  death. 
The  Spirit  is  to  shew  the  truth  of  the  case  in  all 
these  respects ;  and  the  words  which  describe  his 
witness  are  adapted  to  the  situation  in  each  par- 
ticular, and  correspond  to  thoughts  immediately 
present  at  the  time.  That  of  the  unbelief  of  the 
nation  weighs  heavily  on  the  mind,  as  expressed 
in  the  sad  conclusion  (xii.  37-50)  and  accentuated 
in  words  just  spoken  (xv.  22-25).  That  of  depar- 
ture to  God  and  witlidrawal  from  human  eyes  is 
the  p-round-thouofht  of  this  whole  discourse.     That 


274  THE   DISCOUESES  chap. 

of  the  judgment  of  Satan  has  come  strongly  into 
view,  as  shewn  by  the  last  words  in  the  Temple, 
"  Now  is  the  judgment  of  this  world ;  now  shall 
the  prince  of  this  world  be  cast  out"  (xii.  31). 
These  three  facts  in  earth,  in  heaven,  in  hell,  the 
Spirit  will  use,  in  order  to  convict  the  world  by 
the  revelation  which  they  make  on  sin,  righteous- 
ness, and  judgment. 

How  this  was  done  in  the  first  stage  of  his  ac- 
tion we  read  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  Book  of 
Acts,  in  which  the  sin  of  that  unbelieving  genera- 
tion is  arraigned,  the  righteousness  of  "that  just 
One  "  who  is  exalted  to  the  right  hand  of  God  is 
proclaimed,  and  the  certainty  of  coming  judgment 
is  pressed  home  on  men's  souls,  all  testified  with 
inspired  voice  by  the  AjDostles,  and  felt  with  thrill- 
ing effect  among  the  people. 

In  that  first  stage  the  account  here  given  of  the 
mission  of  the  Paraclete  is  historically  interpreted 
by  a  decisive  fulfilment,  which  is  as  yet  limited 
and  local.  But  the  interpretation  is  expanded 
when  the  mission  enters  on  the  larger  world,  and 
in  contact  with  mankind  in  general,  develops  its 
deeper  spiritual  intention.  The  controversy  of 
the  Spirit  with  the  world  is  permanent  and  uni- 
versal ;  still  it  turns  on  sin,  righteousness,  and 
judgment,  and  still  it  is  carried  on,  not  by  abstract 
arguments  about  them,  but  by  the  witness  to  Jesus 
Christ  and  to  the  great  facts  of  his  history.     This 


XVI  CONVICTION    OF   THE    WORLD  275 

is  the  Gospel  which  the  Holy  Ghost  gave  and 
which  He  ever  uses  for  his  woi'k  of  conviction  by 
the  mouth  of  the  preacher  and  in  the  heart  of 
the  hearer. 

This  is  the  power  which  awakens  in  men's 
minds,  as  nothing  else  has  done,  the  sense  of  sin. 
The  sense  of  sin  results  from  nearness  to  God,  and 
the  Gospel  brings  God  very  near  to  us  by  a  full 
manifestation  and  a  direct  appeal  made  in  the 
person  of  his  Son,  and  made  to  us  as  sinners.  His 
name  is  called  Jesus,  for  He  saves  his  people  from 
their  sins.  Reprobation  of  sin,  bearing  of  sin, 
redemption  from  sin,  forgiveness  of  sin,  deliver- 
ance from  sin,  are  the  first  ideas  represented  by 
that  name.  He  to  whom  this  appeal  of  grace  is 
made,  and  by  whom  it  is  disbelieved  and  refused, 
remains  under  sin.  "  He  that  believeth  not  is 
judged  already  because  he  hath  not  believed  on  the 
name  of  the  only-begotten  Son  of  God"  (iii.  18). 
That  unbelief  is  a  proof  of  the  sinful  state  and  a 
final  sin  itself;  for  sin,  being  followed  to  its  last 
defences  by  the  Spirit's  revelation  of  the  Healer 
and  Redeemer,  is  left  without  excuses,  so  far  as 
that  revelation  is  rejected.  And  thus  "  He  shall," 
the  Lord  says,  "  convict  the  world  in  respect  of 
sin,  in  that  they  "  (not  "  it,"  but  "  they,"  not  the 
world  collectively,  but  men  personally)  "  believe 
not  on  me." 

This,  again,  is  the  power  which,  as  a  necessarily 


276  THE   DISCOURSES 


correlative  act,  gives  to  the  world  a  new  sense  of 
righteousness.  While  the  world  knew  not  where 
to  look  for  righteousness,  as  realised  in  man  and 
sealed  of  God,  its  dubious  and  confused  ideas 
respecting  it  had  some  excuse,  though  its  false 
and  perverted  ideas  had  none.  Things  were 
changed  when  the  Spirit  presented  to  the  world 
the  great  Object  of  faith,  in  One  who  had  "  ful- 
filled all  righteousness,"  realising  it  perfectly  in 
human  life,  and  then  receiving  the  seal  of  it,  in 
that  He  went  to  the  Father.  That  fact  was  con- 
clusive of  the  truth  of  his  mission,  of  the  justice  of 
his  claims,  and  of  recognition  in  heaven  as  "  Jesus 
Christ  the  righteous."  Having  been  "  manifested 
in  the  flesh,"  He  was  "justified  in  the  spirit,  and 
received  up  in  glory."  This  is  briefly  contained 
in  the  words  "  Because  I  go  to  the  Father." 

.  But  what  is  the  significance  of  the  added  words, 
"  And  ye  behold  me  no  longer  "  ?  Many  commen- 
tators treat  it  as  a  mere  amplification  of  the  depar- 
ture, but  as  such  it  would  hardly  have  a  place  in 
these  brief  utterances.  Some  observe,  "  the  fact 
that  He  gives  his  invisibility  this  personal  turn 
and  reference  to  the  disciples  is  an  expression  of 
his  sympathetic  love."  ^  But  that  personal  inten- 
tion would  have  required  the  pronoun  (Li/Met?),  and 
it  would  be  scarcely  in  place  in  an  account  of  con- 
viction to  the  world.  Rather  it  appears  to  imply 
1  Lulhardt. 


XVI  CONVICTION   OF   THE    WOULD  277 

that  the  cessation  of  visibility  on  earth  and  the 
close  of  human  observation  is  the  condition  of  a 
true  recognition.  In  some  degree  that  is  true  in 
general.  Character,  especially  righteous  charac- 
ter, is  best  recognised  when  life  is  completed  and 
observation  terminated.  Therefore  it  is  when  ye 
no  longer  behold  me  (Oeoipeire)  as  spectators  of 
what  is  passing,  you  will  have  the  whole  history 
before  you  as  completed  in  its  last  stage  and 
ended  by  death  and  departure,  and  you  will  then 
receive  its  full  impression.  So  it  has  been.  It 
was  seen  that  both  in  action  and  in  suffering  the 
work  had  been  done  and  the  victory  won,  not  by 
power,  but  by  righteousness.  The  world  had 
before  it  a  perfect  example  and  a  new  ideal. 
Jesus  had  stamped  his  image  on  the  inmost  con- 
sciousness of  man  and  at  the  centre  of  human 
history.  In  that  character  it  stands  without  a 
rival,  in  the  opinion  even  of  those  who  refuse  to 
believe  on  his  name.  Those  who  do  believe  see 
that  "  God  has  made  the  Holy  and  the  Just  both 
Lord  and  Christ,"  the  "  King  of  righteousness " 
and  the  author  of  it,  the  type  of  righteousness  by 
what  He  was  in  the  flesh,  the  source  of  it  by  what 
He  is  in  the  Spirit. 

Hoio  He  is  the  source  of  it  to  us  is  a  further 
question.  A  distinct  doctrine  concerning  his 
communication  of  this  righteousness  and  our  jus- 
tification in  it,  has  been  drawn  from  this  passage 


278  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

by  Augustin  and  Luther,  and  by  many  others. 
But  it  is  rather  attached  to  the  words  than  de- 
duced from  them.i  In  fact,  it  belongs  to  a  later 
stage  of  the  divine  teaching,  and  is  part  of  the 
instruction  to  the  Church  rather  than  of  the  wit- 
ness to  the  world. 

Once  more,  it  was  the  same  revelation  by  the 
Spirit  which  established  before  the  world  the  truth 
of  judgment.  Were  there  no  judgment,  there 
would  be  neither  sin  nor  righteousness ;  for  it 
would  be  no  moral  world  which  had  no  moral 
government,  and  law  would  be  futile  if  it  were 
not  to  be  vindicated,  and  conscience  would  be 
silenced  if  it  had  no  support.  Hence  those  who 
looked  on  the  course  of  this  world  were  often 
shaken  in  mind  by  the  disordered  scene,  which 
gave  too  much  occasion  for  the  doubting  and 
sometimes  taunting  question,  "  Where  is  the  God 
of  judgment?"  (Mai.  ii.  17).  We  know  the 
anxious  debates  and  the  agitated  appeals  on  this 
subject,  which  are  heard  from  Prophets,  from 
Psalmists,  and  in  the  Book  of  Job.  And  the 
apparently  wavering  conflict  between  right  and 
wrong  was  in  reality  even  more  serious  than  it 
seemed ;  for  what  took  place  on  the  surface  had 
springs  and  supplies  unseen,  and  there  was  a 
prince   of    this    world    behind    the   world    itself. 

1  The  justness  of  these  inferences  is  maintained  by  Stier 
■with  some  pains,  but,  I  think,  without  success. 


XVI  CONVICTION   OF    THE    WORLD  279 

Great  was  the  need  for  One  who  shonld  "bring 
forth  jndgment  unto  victory."  "  For  this  purpose 
the  Son  of  God  was  manifested,  that  he  might 
destroy  the  works  of  the  Devil "  (1  John  iii.  8). 
He  came  to  decide  the  conflict,  and  o]i  the  cross 
it  was  decided.  In  tliat  desperate  attack  on  the 
righteous  One  in  whom  he  "had  nothing,"  the 
enemy  suffered  irremediable  defeat,  and  fell  under 
irrevocable  judgment.  As  yet  it  is  not  the  world 
which  is  judged,  but  its  Prince.  Christ  came 
"  not  to  judge  the  world,  but  to  save  the  world." 
For  the  purposes  of  that  salvation,  the  Spirit 
witnesses  that  the  issue  is  decided  by  what  has 
taken  place ;  that  in  one  and  the  same  act  sin  is 
atoned  for,  righteousness  victorious,  and  the  Prince 
of  this  world  cast  out ;  and  that  the  consequence 
follows  in  the  certainty  of  judgment  to  come. 
"  God  hath  appointed  a  day  in  which  he  will  judge 
the  world  in  righteousness  by  him  whom  he  hatli 
ordained"  (Acts  xvii.  31).  This  was  one  of  the 
voices  by  which  the  Apostles  awoke  the  world, 
for  ever  a  mighty  power  for  missionary  success, 
perhaps  in  these  days  scarcely  as  much  used  as  it 
ought  to  be,  and  as  it  was  by  them.  But  for  all 
men  the  testimonies  concerning  sin  and  righteous- 
ness derived,  and  still  derive,  force,  from  the  testi- 
mony of  a  fixed  and  final  judgment,  making  it 
felt  that  "  the  kingdom  of  God  is  not  in  word,  but 
in  power." 


280  THE    DISCOURSES  chap. 

These,  then,  are  the  subjects  of  the  controversy 
with  the  world,  and  the  lines  on  which  it  is  now 
to  be  conducted ;  but  what  is  to  be  its  success  ? 
The  word  employed  does  not  promise  success. 
The  result  of  the  conviction  may  be  persuasion  in 
some  cases,  or  hardening  in  others.  Yet  the  better 
result  is  suggested,  if  not  announced;  and  it 
cannot  be  thought  that  so  great  an  Advocate  in  so 
great  a  cause  will  testify,  argue,  and  plead  in  vain. 
In  respect  of  a  controversy  with  the  world,  we 
may  distinguish  the  general  and  superficial  effect 
in  the  multitude  and  mass  of  men  from  the  deep 
and  true  effect  in  individual  souls.  The  general 
is  indeed  the  consequence  of  the  individual  effect ; 
for  personal  conviction  diffuses  itself  in  pi'oportion 
to  its  intensity,  as  a  current  in  a  narrow  channel, 
increasing  in  force  and  volume,  rises  over  its 
boundaries  and  occupies  with  wider  and  shallower 
waters  the  sui-rounding  scene.  And  besides  this 
power  of  influence,  the  witness  of  the  Spirit  has 
its  own  natural  effect,  inasmuch  as  in  one  part  it 
consists  of  evidences  and  inferences  level  to  the 
common  reason,  and  in  another  part  it  appeals  to 
the  deepest  needs  and  best  affections  of  our  nature, 
and  so  has  a  proper  fitness  to  overcome  the  resist- 
ance which  it  meets  with  from  other  causes,  and  to 
win  its  way  to  a  large  and  general  acceptance.  And 
this  is  what  happened ;  the  Gospel  gradually  ex- 
tending its  moral  victory  all  along  the  line.     The 


XVI  CONVICTION   OF   THE   WORLD  281 

world,  as  such,  after  a  time  of  struggle  and  vio- 
lence, succumbed  at  last ;  admitted  faith  in  Christ 
to  be  duty,  and  unbelief  to  be  sin ;  recognised  his 
claims  to  be  righteous,  and  Himself  to  be  the 
standard  and  source  of  righteousness,  and  bowed 
in  .distant  fear  before  One  who  would  "  judge  the 
quick  and  the  dead  at  his  appearing  and  his 
kingdom."  This  submission  to  Christ,  and  the 
consequent  Christianity  of  the  leading  nations  of 
the  world,  was  the  work  of  the  Spirit,  as  being 
wrought  by  the  Gospel  which  his  inspiration  gave, 
by  preachers  filled  with  his  power,  and  (we  may 
add)  by  those  wider  influences  by  which  at  times 
He  moves  multitudes  in  the  way  of  preliminary 
preparation.  So  far  the  world  has  been  not  only 
convicted  of  error,  but  convinced  of  truth,  and, 
having  identified  itself  with  the  Church  of  Christ 
in  respect  of  the  confession  of  his  name,  exhibits 
in  large  and  lasting  characters  the  success  of  the 
witness  of  the  Spirit. 

Yet  the  controversy  is  not  over  because  the 
world  and  the  Church  thus  interpenetrate  each 
other.  A  battle  is  not  over,  when  the  lines  are  no 
longer  seen,  in  opposite  array,  but  are  lost  to  view 
in  the  confusion  of  close  quarters  or  scattered  fight. 
Only  those  who  can  look  from  higher  ground  see 
distinctly  how  things  are  going.  Christendom  has 
ever  shewn,  and  still  shews  too  plainly,  that  the 
conflict   concerning  sin,   righteousness,   and  judg- 


282  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

ment  is  going  on  ;  and  within  the  area  of  superficial 
conquest  the  true  successes  of  the  Spirit  have  to 
be  won  in  individual  souls  from  age  to  age.  In 
the  experience  of  human  hearts  the  work  goes  on, 
often  as  a  keen  and  painful  conflict,  confuting 
false  reasonings  and  casting  down  vain  defenges, 
overcoming  error  and  wrong  by  truth  and  right, 
and  substituting  for  the  principles  of  the  world 
the  living  word  of  Christ.  Thus  is  the  promised 
Spirit  at  work  among  us,  translating  men  from 
the  death  of  sin  to  the  life  of  righteousness,  and 
from  the  fear  of  judgment  to  the  joy  of  salvation. 

"To  llim,  therefore,  the  gracious  Comforter,  who  con- 
vinces us  of  sin,  and  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment,  and 
to  Jesus  Christ,  the  Lord  of  our  faith  and  our  righteous- 
ness, by  whom  the  Prince  of  this  world  was  judged,  and  to 
the  blessed  Father,  who  vouchsafed  to  send  his  Son  and  his 
Spirit  for  the  redemption  and  sanctification  of  mankind,  be 
all  praise  and  thanksgiving  and  glory  and  adoration  from 
angels  and  saints  world  without  end."  ^ 

1  Last  words  of  Hake's  "  Mission  of  the  Comforter." 


ILLUMINATION   OF  THE   CHURCH  283 


CHAPTER   XVII 

ILLUMINATION   OF   THE   CHURCH 
V.   12-15 

The  outlines  of  a  great  history  have  been 
drawn,  creating  an  anxious  outlook  for  the  disci- 
ples ;  for  the  work  of  the  Spirit  in  the  controversy 
with  the  world  involves  the  necessity  of  his  work 
in  those  who  are  to  conduct  it,  and  concerning  this 
they  need  information  and  assurance.  Then  there 
is  yet  much  to  be  said,  as,  indeed,  there  always  is 
in  a  last  interview.  And  how  much  is  often  left 
unsaid  for  want  of  time  or  for  other  reasons ! 
There  is  another  reason  here  :  — 

"I  have  yet  many  things  to  say  unto  you,  but  ye  cannot 
bear  them  now." 

If  the  Lord  has  them  to  say,  they  will  be  said, 
but  not  now  Qdpri)  at  the  present  moment.  At 
the  point  which  has  been  reached  in  preparation 
and  capacity,  the  minds  of  the  hearers  would  be 
unequal  to  sustain  them :  they  would  be  like  too 
heavy  a  weight  laid  on  one  whose  strength  was 
immature.     Thankfully  do  we  observe  the  consid- 


284  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

Grateness  of  our  Master's  teaching,  its  proportion 
to  what  minds  can  bear,  its  partial  discoveries  and 
gradual  developments,  and  its  reticence  till  it  is 
time  to  speak.  We  trace  this  characteristic  in 
Jesus  as  an  educator.  He  says  things  here  which 
He  would  not  have  said  a  year  before ;  and  lias 
things  yet  to  say  which  He  will  not  say  now  under 
present  conditions  of  thought.  The  conditions 
will  be  altered  Avhen  the  events  have  taken  place. 
After  the  death,  the  resurrection,  the  ascension, 
and  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  these  truths 
will  find  their  place  in  prepared  hearts. 

Who  that  knows  his  own  mental  history  does 
not  feel  grateful  for  these  words !  They  tell  us 
of  tender  consideration  for  immature  stages  of 
thought  and  wise  methods  of  gradual  advance  in 
spiritual  apprehension.  Did  not  the  prophet  say 
of  the  good  Shepherd,  "  He  shall  gently  lead  those 
that  are  with  young "  ?  It  was  spoken  not  of 
sheep,  but  of  minds.  He  Avill  not  deal  precipi- 
tately with  the  processes  of  travailing  thought  or 
impatiently  with  yet  imperfect  conceptions.  We 
yield  ourselves  more  trustfully  to  the  Teacher 
who  knows  what  is  in  man,  and  leads  his  disciples 
on  as  they  are  able  to  bear  it.^ 

1  "  Tlie  principle  on  which  Christ  conducts  his  teaching  is 
that  the  full  greatness  of  a  truth  is  not  unveiled  until  the  eye  has 
been  strengthened,  and  a  hope  is  not  shattered  until  its  compen- 
sation has  been  provided.  It  is  because  He  is  the  Educator, 
■who  in  nature  lets  the  blossoms  fall  only  when  the  fruit  forms, 


ILLUMINATION   OF   THE   CHURCH  285 


But  these  words  of  Jesus,  besides  their  consid- 
erate tone,  have  also  a  distinctly  important  place 
in  the  course  of  revelation.  They  decide  a  ques- 
tion of  the  greatest  moment.  It  may  be  stated 
thus :  Are  we  to  limit  the  teaching  of  Christ  Him- 
self to  the  words  recorded  in  the  Gospels  as  spoken 
by  his  lips?  Does  his  authority  extend  to  what 
may  seem  to  go  further  than  this,  in  the  testimo- 
nies of  the  Acts  or  the  doctrine  of  the  Epistles  ? 
The  question  is,  indeed,  fully  answered  in  other 
ways ;  but  these  words  are  a  turning-point.  Even 
in  his  last  recorded  words,  Jesus  has  not  delivered 
all  that  lie  has  to  communicate.  He  has  yet 
things  to  say,  —  many  things,  —  and  those  of  great- 
est weight  and  moment  for  the  perfecting  of  his 
doctrine.  How  these  communications  will  be 
made,  and  what  will  be  their  nature,  the  following 
words  explain  :  — 

"  Howbeit,  when  he,  the  Spirit  of  truth,  is  come,  he  shall 
guide  you  into  all  the  truth ;  for  he  shall  not  speak  from 
himself ;  but  what  things  soever  he  shall  hear,  these  shall  he 
speak :  and  he  shall  declare  unto  you  the  things  that  are  to 
come.     He  shall  glorify  me  :  for  he  shall  take  of  mine,  and 

and  suffers  the  leaves  of  last  autumn  to  remain  on  trees  whose 
young  buds  need  such  shelter.  .  .  .  There  are  in  the  teaching  of 
Christ,  both  in  the  Bible  and  in  Providence, — reticences  and 
pauses  which  temper  the  truth  to  feeble  minds  as  clouds  chasten 
light."  —  Sermons  bi/  J.  Ker,  D.D.,  2d  Series.  Sermon  on 
"Christ's  Keticence  in  teaching  Truth,"  beautiful  in  thought 
and  expression. 


28G  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

shall  declare  it  unto  you.  .  .  .  All  things  whatsoever  the 
Father  hath  are  mine :  therefore  said  T,  that  he  taketh  of 
mine,  and  shall  declare  it  unto  you"  (13-15). 

It  is  a  great  promise,  expressed  with  careful 
precision.  We  note  the  distinct,  emphatic  words 
—  He  (eK6ivo<i)  the  personal  Agent,  not  an  ema- 
nation or  influence  —  the  Spirit  of  truth  (to  Trvevfia 
rrj<i  oK'TjOeia'i)  assuring  by  his  own  nature  the  truth 
that  he  teaches  —  ivhen  He  is  come  (otuv  eXOrf)^  not 
merely  given,  but  coming,  and  that  at  a  definite 
time,  when  his  fresh  instructions  will  be  opened  — 
He  will  lead  you  (^oBriyrja-ei  I'yu.a?)  as  a  guide  leads 
in  the  way,  by  steady  advance,  rather  than  by 
sudden  revelation.  It  will  be  a  leading  the  mind 
forward  according  to  its  proper  working,  in  appre- 
hensions that  are  cleared  as  they  proceed.  He 
will  lead  you  info  all  the  truth  (et?  rrjv  a\i]6eiav 
7raaav~),  the  truth,  that  is,  of  the  Gospel,  the  word 
of  life  and  salvation,  into  all  of  it,  completing  the 
communications  already  made.^ 

Those  communications  have  indeed  compre- 
hended all  the  truth,  but,  in  respect  of  its  higher 
mysteries,  implicitly  and  by  anticipation.  It  could 
not  be  otherwise.  The  teaching  of  Christ  in  the 
flesh  is  a  progressive  course,  impljang  events 
which  are  near,  but  have  not  yet  happened,  and 

1  "Cette  verite,  d'apres  XIV.  6,  c'est  J6sus  lui-nienie,  sa 
personne,  sa  parole,  son  oeuvre.  Voila  le  diviii  domaiue  dans 
lequel  I'Esprit  leiir  servira  di'  guide."  — Goukt. 


ILLUMINATION   OF  THE   CHURCH  287 


preparing  a  revelation  which  is  yet  to  come.  His 
sayings,  in  their  form  parabolic,  and  in  their  method 
occasional,  provide  in  a  remarkable  manner  the 
materials  and  certificates  of  that  revelation.  But 
they  await  their  explanation  from  the  events,  and 
their  full  interpretation  by  "  the  Spirit  of  promise." 
That  is  here  assured  to  the  men  then  present,  and 
to  such  as  shall  be  joined  with  them  in  their  great 
commission  to  mankind.  Therefore,  to  them  be- 
longed the  promise  in  an  exceptional  sense,  as  first 
recipients  of  the  teaching  which  should  lead  them 
into  all  the  truth,  in  order  that  their  words  might 
serve  to  lead  others  into  it.  Thus  the  apostolic 
teaching  is  for  all  generations  the  teaching  of  the 
Spirit,  and  we  receive  it  as  such,  being  sealed  to  us 
by  this  promise.  To  use  the  words  of  Godet,  "The 
word  xiv.  26,  He  shall  bring  all  things  to  your 
remembrance,  whatsoever  I  have  said  unto  you, 
formulates  the  inspiration  of  our  Gospels  ;  that  in 
the  present  verse  formulates  the  inspiration  of  the 
Epistles  and  Apocalypse." 

Yet  does  the  promise  extend  beyond  this  im- 
mediate and  fundamental  application.  It  is  the 
property  of  believing  enquirers  in  all  ages  and 
generations,  to  their  unspeakable  encouragement 
and  comfort;  and  it  is  ever  being  fulfilled  in 
individual  cases,  though  in  various  measures, 
according  as  the  work  of  the  Spirit  is  conditioned 
by    tlie    mental    atmosphere    through    which    He 


288  THE   DISCOUESES  chap. 

breathes.  Only  the  truth,  into  which  separate 
souls  or  Christian  societies  are  led  by  the  Spirit 
of  truth,  can  never  be  any  other  than  the  truth, 
"  which  was  once  for  all  delivered  to  the  saints," 
by  those  who  first  "  preached  the  Gospel  (to  the 
world)  with  the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down  from 
heaven  "  (Jude  iii.  2;  1  Pet.  i.  12). 

Lest  it  should  be  thought  that  this  later  stage 
of  teaching  is  not  to  be  ranked  with  the  first  in 
respect  of  divine  authority,  the  Lord  proceeds  to 
say  that,  as  those  former  communications  came 
straight  from  the  source  of  eternal  truth,  so  shall 
it  be  also  with  these.  That  which  Jesus  had 
asserted  of  his  own  teaching  in  the  past,  the  same 
does  He  assert  of  that  of  the  Paraclete  in  the 
future.  "  He  will  not  speak  from  Himself,"  as  a 
separate  or  secondary  originator  of  revelation ; 
rather.  He  shall  be  as  one  who  hears  on  the  one 
side  all  that  He  speaks  on  the  otlier.^ 

1  Augustin  expresses  the  difficulty  which  he  felt  in  regard  to 
this  language  as  used  concerning  the  Spirit.  In  the  case  of 
Jesus  it  seems  to  him  more  easy  to  understand  as  applicable  to 
his  position  in  human  nature  and  to  his  words  spoken  in  the 
flesh.  In  the  case  of  the  Spirit,  he  finds  the  exposition  in  his 
essential  nature  as  derived  and  proceeding  from  the  Father  and 
the  Son,  and  concludes  a  careful  argument  by  saying,  "  He  will 
not  speak  from  Himself,  because  He  is  not  from  Himself  ;  but 
what  He  shall  hear.  He  will  speak.  From  Him  He  will  hear  from 
Whom  He  proceeds.  For  Him  to  hear  is  to  know,  and  to  know 
is  to  be  ;  and  from  Him  from  Whom  He  proceeds  is  his  being, 
his  knowing,  and  his  hearing."  He  then  deals  witli  the  question 
of  the  future  tense  as  superficially  at  variance  with  the  eternal 


XVII  ILLUMINATION   OF   THE    CHURCH  289 

These  things  He  shall  shew  or  declare  (^avajye- 
\et).  It  is  a  high-toned  word,  proper  to  the  an- 
nouncement of  things  otherwise  unknown.  It  is 
used  elsewhere  of  the  announcements  made  by  the 
Apostles  to  the  world  (Acts  xx.  20;  1  Pet.  i.  12; 
1  John  i.  5,  etc.),  here  of  the  like  announcements 
made  by  the  Spirit  to  the  Apostles,  and  is  im- 
pressed by  a  threefold  repetition  at  the  close  of 
successive  sentences. 

The  subjects  of  the  information,  thus  to  be 
heard  and  given,  are  descril^ed  in  few,  but  grand 
and  comprehensive  words ;  and  first  it  is  said, 
"  He  shall  shew  you  (^ra  epxo/^eva^  the  coming 
things."  It  is  not  only  the  gift  of  predictive 
prophecy,  partial  and  occasional  as  that  was, 
which  is  here  intended.  That  would  scarcely 
have  been  placed  in  the  forefront  of  this  account 
of  the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Rather  we 
should  read  the  words  as  closing  the  assertion  of 
the  absolute  trutli  of  the  teaching  by  a  compre- 
hensive statement  of  its  nature.  "  Whatsoever 
he  shall  hear  he  will  speak,  and  he  will  declare 
to  you  the  coming  things."  At  such  a  prospect 
expectation  rises,  imagination  kindles,  and  infor- 
mation is  sought.  For  its  proper  purposes  it  will 
be  given;  including,  as  I  think,  the  whole  dispen- 

knowing  and  hearing.  The  whole  argument  exhibits  the  deeper 
line  of  theological  thought,  for  which  every  sviggestion  in  tliis 
discourse  was  taken.  — In  Joh.  Evnnfj.  Tract.  XCIX. 

T 


290  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

sation  of  tlie  future.  There,  in  the  realm  of  ex- 
pectation, the  coming  things  (ra  epxofieva)  will 
take  the  place  of  the  coming  One  (o  ep^^ofxevo^;^ 
on  wliose  actual  advent  they  ensue.  The  new 
Covenant  supplanting  that  which  will  vanish 
away,  the  development  of  its  truths  and  mysteries, 
the  powers  of  the  world  to  come  which  it  will  dis- 
close, the  life  and  experiences  which  it  will  create, 
the  forms  in  which  it  Avill  express  itself,  the  shape 
and  order  of  the  Church,  its  extension  over  the 
world,  the  course  and  consummation  of  its  history 
with  the  ultimate  issues  afterwards,  such  as  they 
appear  in  the  Apocalypse  or  in  St.  Paul's  doctrine 
of  the  expectation  and  destiny  of  the  creation 
(Rom.  viii.)  and  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead 
and  the  eternal  and  glorious  kingdom  (1  Cor.  xv. 
and  elsewhere),  —  these,  I  say,  are  the  coming 
things  which  the  Spirit  will  bring  out  of  darkness 
into  lipfht. 

This  illumination  of  the  future  world  of  thouglit 
and  faith  is  to  be  concentrated  in  one  focus, 
namely,  in  the  revelation  of  the  glory  of  Jesus 
Christ.  lie  is  the  great  subject  of  the  witness 
of  the  Spirit  before  tiie  world  and  within  the 
Church.  For  conviction  of  the  world  it  was 
before  said,  "  He  shall  testify  of  me."  For  teach- 
ing of  the  Church  it  is  now  said,  "  He  shall  glorify 
me."  Has  this  been  done?  How  amply,  how 
fully,  we  see  for  oui  selves  as  we  turn  to  the  apos- 


XVII  ILLUMINATION   OF   THE   CHURCH  291 

tolic  writings.  Jesus  Christ  shines  forth  in  every 
page  in  lofty  testimonies,  adoring  ascriptions,  doc- 
trinal expositions,  and  practical  pleadings.  And 
as  He  was  glorified  at  first  in  '•'  the  faith  once  for 
all  delivered  to  the  saints,"  so  has  He  been  ever 
since  in  the  creeds  and  confessions,  the  liturgies 
and  doxologies,  the  hj^nns  and  celebrations,  of  the 
whole  Catholic  Church ;  and  at  the  same  time  by 
the  trust  and  the  love,  the  confidence  and  devo- 
tion, the  labours  and  martyrdoms  of  believers  in 
all  ages,  "  a  gi^eat  multitude  which  no  man  can 
number  of  all  nations  and  kindreds  and  peoples 
and  tongues."  Thus  in  fact  has  the  Spirit  glori- 
fied the  Lord  Jesus  in  the  Scriptures,  in  the 
Church,  and  in  the  souls  of  men. 

But,  in  the  announcement  made,  there  is  more 
than  the  fact,  —  there  is  the  intimation  of  the  lines 
on  which  it  should  be  done.  "  He  shall  glorify 
me,  for  [oti,  because]  he  shall  take  of  mine  and 
shall  declare  it  unto  you."  Only  thus,  indeed, 
can  any  glorifying  be  true.  It  must  consist  in 
the  showing  forth,  not  of  accidents  and  acces- 
sories, but  of  that  which  truly  belongs  to  the 
person  glorified,  that  which  he  is  in  himself  and 
has  of  his  own.  So  it  is  in  this  great  saying,  "  He 
shall  take  of  that  which  is  mine  "  (e'/c  tou  ifiov). 
One  dares  not  distribute  this  collective  word,  or 
break  it  up  into  particulars  which  would  be  short 
of  its  meaning.     But  we  observe  that  it  contains 


292  THE    DLSCOURSES  chap. 

a  division  in  itself,  for  it  is  said,  not  that  the 
Spirit  will  declare  to  you  that  which  is. mine,  but 
that  He  will  take  out  of  that  which  is  mine  and 
declare  it  to  you.  Not  all  that  is  Christ's,  not  all 
that  is  known  of  Him  in  worlds  above,  or  that 
will  be  known  by  us  hereafter,  is  matter  of  pres- 
ent revelation,  but  what  constitutes  his  relations 
with  ourselves,  and  what  for  the  present  it  con- 
cerns us  to  know. 

For  this  saying  the  Lord  gives  a  reason  which 
carries  it  into  the  depths  of  the  mystery  of  the 
Godhead.  "  All  whatsoever  the  Father  hath  are 
mine :  therefore  said  I  that  he  taketh  of  mine,  and 
shall  declare  it  unto  you."  The  assertions  are 
clear ;  but  what  means  the  word  "  therefore "  ? 
Perhaps  we  may  understand  it  thus :  All  things 
that  will  be  communicated  are  indeed  the  Father's: 
I  .have  therefore  called  them  mine,  because  not 
these  only,  but  all  things  whatsoever  the  Father 
hath  are  mine  :  and  it  is  out  of  those  vast  and 
boundless  treasures  that  the  Spirit,  "  who  search- 
eth  all  things,  yea,  the  deep  things  of  God,"  takes 
what  it  is  seen  fit  that  He  should  impart  to  men. 

The  saying  completes  the  expression  of  the 
consciousness  which  has  pervaded  the  whole  dis- 
course. From  the  first  word,  "  Believe  in  God, 
believe  also  in  me,"  the  sense  of  the  ineffable 
union  has  mingled  with  every  successive  topic ; 
and  all  the  relations  of  Christ  to  his  people,  and 


xvii  ILLUMINATION   OF   THE   CHUKCII  293 

of  his  people  to  Him,  in  the  economy  of  grace 
have  been  shewn  to  rest  on  the  essential  relations 
of  the  Son  to  the  Father  and  of  the  Father  to  the 
Son  in  the  co-eternal  Godhead.  These  profound  im- 
plications reach  tlieir  close  in  the  last  words,  to  be 
repeated  a  few  moments  after  in  the  Prayer,  with 
even  greater  fulness.  "  All  things  that  are  mine 
are  thine,  and  thine  are  mine."  In  that  Prayer 
the  consciousness  which  has  pervaded  the  inter- 
course with  men  finds  in  communion  with  the 
Father  its  explicit,  unreserved,  and  serene  expres- 
sion. 

This  trutli  of  the  unity  of  nature  and  conse- 
quent community  of  possession  in  the  Godhead 
underlies  and  sustains  all  other  truths,  out  of  the 
fulness  of  which  the  Spirit  still  takes  the  things 
of  Christ  to  shew  unto  us. 

"  Come,  Holy  Ghost,  our  souls  inspire, 
And  lighten  with  celestial  fire ; 
Thou  the  anointing  Spirit  art 
Who  dost  thy  sevenfold  gifts  impart. 


"  Teach  us  to  know  the  Father,  Son, 

And  Thee  of  both  to  be  but  one ; 

That  through  the  ages  all  along, 

This  may  be  our  endless  song, 

Praise  to  thine  eternal  merit, 

Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit." 


294  THE   DISCOURSES 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

THE   SORROW   AND   THE   JOY 
V.  16-22 

The  discourse  draws  to  an  end.  Its  consoling 
and  revealing  words  have  been  sufficient.  Its 
instructions  have  fixed  the  faith  resulting  from 
the  past,  and  its  promises  have  prepared  the  higher 
faith  of  the  future.  The  manifestation  in  the  flesh 
has  been  shewn  as  passing  into  the  manifestation 
by  the  Spirit.  Through  the  whole  has  run  the 
line  of  implied  revelation  of  the  eternal  Godhead, 
in  the  relations  of  the  Son  to  the  Father  and  of 
the  Spirit  to  the  Father  and  the  Son.  The  inter- 
est of  early  writers  was  ever  most  strongly  at- 
tracted to  these  theological  implications :  that  of 
later  commentators  has  been  more  restricted  to  the 
primary  application  of  the  words  to  the  mind  of 
the  disciplco  at  the  time  and  to  the  subsequent 
Christian  life ;  but  these  instructions  are  given  as 
resting  on  the  higher  mysteries  behind  them. 

From  the  great  subjects  which  liave  been  opened 
Jesus  turns  to  his  hearers,  to  prepare  their  minds 


XVIII  THE   SORROW   AND   THE   J()V  205 

for  the  changes  so  close  at  hand ;  for  things  are 
now  to  be  transacted  at  brief  intervals  and  in 
quick  succession. 

"A  little  while  [He  says],  and  ye  behold  me  no  more; 
and  again  a  little  while,  and  ye  shall  see  me."  (The  addi- 
tion in  this  place  of  "  because  I  go  to  the  Father  "  is  excluded 
by  the  best  authorities.) 

In  this  short  sudden  word  there  was  something 
startling  in  its  notice  of  quickly  coming  changes, 
and  something  perplexing  in  the  language  which 
described  them.  It  was  left  to  take  effect.  The 
Speaker  must  have  paused  ;  for  the  hearers,  who 
till  now  had  listened  in  silence,  began  to  question 
among  themselves.  They  had  heard  much  that  was 
be3'ond  them.  Each  successive  saying  might  have 
awakened  wonder  and  prompted  enquiry.  It  was 
so  at  first.  Then  they  felt,  as  usual,  free  to  say 
what  occurred.  Peter,  Thomas,  Philip,  Jude,  had 
each  taken  up  a  word  which  had  struck  him,  and 
uttered  at  the  moment  what  he  felt.  But  soon 
they  spoke  no  more.  How  natural  was  tliis  effect 
of  the  discourse  as  it  proceeded  !  While  they  lis- 
tened, they  saw  that  greater  depths  of  truth  were 
opening  out  before  them ;  they  felt  themselves  on 
the  threshold  of  some  unknown  spiritual  change, 
while  their  Master's  person  as  He  spake  of  Himself 
seemed  ever  assuming  a  more  divine  mystery  and 
majesty.  Such  impressions  would  secure  a  rapt,  if 
perplexed,  attention.     A  sense  of  awe  would  steal 


296  tup:    discourses  chap. 

over  their  minds,  while  at  the  same  time  "sorrow 
filled  their  hearts "  at  the  plain  intimations  of 
departure  and  the  tone  of  a  great  farewell.  It  is 
likely  that  there  were  pauses  between  some  of  the 
announcements  previously  made  which  would  have 
given  opportunity  to  speak.  Certainly  there  was 
one  such,  when  it  was  said,  "Arise,  let  us  go 
hence."  But  they  remained  silent ;  and  now, 
though  "desirous  to  ask  Him,"  they  could  not 
venture  to  do  so.  Not  all,  but  some  of  the  disci- 
ples (e/c  TMv  fjbaOrjTwv)  began  talking  in  low  tones 
to  one  another. 

"  What  is  this  that  he  saith  unto  us :  A  little  while  and 
ye  behold  me  not ;  and  again  a  little  while  and  ye  shall  see 
me:  and  Because  I  go  to  the  Father?  They  said  therefore, 
What  is  this  that  he  saith,  A  little  while?  We  know  not 
what  he  saith." 

We  cannot  wonder  at  their  questions.  The  two 
little  intervals  of  time,  —  the  being  not  seen  and 
seen  again,  —  and  this  in  view  of  what  had  been 
said  before,  "  because  I  go  to  the  Father,"  —  these 
are  such  words  as  events  only  can  explain.  Even 
commentators  who  have  the  events  to  guide  them 
have  differed  in  their  interpretations ;  and  the 
most  painstaking  of  them  all  has  said,  "  The  longer 
we  pause  before  the  Word,  the  more  cause  do  we 
find  to  ask^  even  as  expositors.  What  is  it  that  he 
saith?"  (Stier).  But  the  discrimination  in  the 
verbs    employed   affords   sufficient  guidance,  and 


xviu  THE   SORROW   AND   THE   JOY  297 

leads  us  to  interpret  as  follows.  A  little  while  (it 
was  but  a  few  hours),  and  then  "ye  behold  me  no 
longer"  (oi)«eTt  Oecopelre  fie^  :  I  shall  have  passed 
from  the  visible  scene  and  from  the  observation  of 
spectators  (that  is  the  kind  of  seeing  which  the 
verb  intends).  "  Again  a  little  while  "  (of  but  little 
longer  duration),^  and  "ye  shall  see  me"  (o-^^eaOe. 
fie~),  with  another  kind  of  seeing,  one  in  which  the 
natural  sight  becomes  spiritual  vision ;  and  my 
presence  will  be  no  part  of  the  visible  scene,  yet 
assured  by  occasional  discoveries  to  the  end  that  it 
may  be  recognised  for  ever.  The  risen  and  living 
Lord  shewed  Himself  to  the  eye  of  sense  that  He 
might  remain  before  the  eye  of  faith,  not  as  a 
memory,  but  as  a  presence,  once  impressed  in  a 
few  hours  of  partial  disclosure,  then  perpetuated 
through  all  ages  by  the  revelation  of  the  Spirit. 

This  answer  will  come  to  the  questioning  disci- 
ples in  the  swift  course  of  time.  What  they  need 
now  is,  not  information  how  these  things  will  be, 
but  some  preparation  for  their  own  experiences 
under  them ;  and  this  they  receive. 

"Jesus  perceived  that  they  were  desirous  to  ask  him,  and 
he  said  uuto  them,  Do  ye  enquire  among  yourselves  concern- 
ing this,  that  I  said,  A  little  while,  and  ye  behold  me  not, 

1  "  That  fiiKpov  points  in  both  cases  to  an  interval  needs  no 
proof  on  account  of  the  Trd\ii>.  The  translation  is  false,  there- 
fore, which  gives  And  then  shall  je  for  a  lohile,  a  little  time,  see 
me  (as  if  Kara  fiiKpbv),  for  I  go  (presently  again)  my  way  to  the 
Father."  — Stier. 


298  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

and  again  a  little  while,  and  ye  shall  see  me?  Verily,  verily, 
I  say  unto  you  that  ye  shall  weep  and  lament,  but  the  world 
shall  rejoice:  ye  shall  be  sorrowful,  but  your  sorrow  shall 
be  turned  into  joy. 

"A  woman  when  she  is  in  travail  hath  sorrow,  because 
her  hour  is  come :  but  when  she  is  delivered  of  the  child, 
she  reniembereth  no  more  the  anguish,  for  the  joy  that  a 
man  is  born  into  the  world. 

"  And  ye  therefore  now  have  sorrow :  but  I  will  see  you 
again,  and  your  heart  shall  rejoice,  and  your  joy  no  one 
taketh  away  from  you  "  (19-22). 

Jesus  notices  what  is  passing  among  them,  ap- 
prehends their  difficulty,  and  Himself  takes  up 
the  question  which  they  have  feared  to  ask,  as  at 
other  times  He  had  been  used  to  note  their  words 
and  interpret  their  thoughts.  Here,  as  ofttimes, 
his  answer  meets  the  enquiry  rather  in  its  spirit 
than  its  words.  He  tells  them  what  these  oppo- 
site conditions,  so  near  at  hand,  so  quickly  suc- 
ceeding each  other,  Avill  be  to  them,  what  will  be 
their  effects  in  sorrow  and  in  joy. 

The  time  when  they  behold  Him  not  will  be 
one  of  sorrow  indeed,  of  l)itter  and,  as  it  will  seem, 
hopeless  grief.  "  Ye,"  He  says,  "  shall  weep  and 
lament."  There  is  no  doubt  what  manner  of 
mourning  this  intends.  It  is  mourning  for  the 
dead,  to  which  the  words  employed  properly  aj> 
})ly  (/cXaucrere  koI  6pi]vi)aere  u/xetsO-  It  Avill  be 
mourning  for  a  dead  Christ,  and  therefore,  for  a 
dead  cause,  over  whicli  tlie  world  will  rejoice,  as 


XVIII  THE   SORROW   AND   THE   JOY  200 

over  a  power  which  it  has  conquered  and  crushed. 
Yes !  He  says  again,  Ye  shall  be  sorrowful,  sor- 
row stricken  (\v7n]9)]area6e).  Well  did  He  under- 
stand that  sorrow  of  theirs  which  would  be  an 
attendant  shadow  of  his  own.  He  saw  them  in 
the  desolation  of  bereavement,  confounded  hj  the 
horror  and  mystery  of  an  inexplicable  event,  and 
feeling  as  if  all  faith  and  hope  were  gone  from 
their  souls,  because  He  who  had  inspired  them  was 
dead.  Yet  shall  it  be  but  "a  little  while,"  before 
their  sorrow  "  shall  be  turned  into  joy  "  (et?  %a/Jai/ 
j6v)')a6Tai^,  shall  pass  into  it  in  the  Avay  of  natural 
consequence,  the  very  cause  of  the  sorrow  proving 
to  be  the  cause  of  the  joy. 

So  it  is,  as  in  the  often-cited  example  of  "  the 
woman  when  she  is  bringing  forth  "  {orav  tikty)). 
It  has  its  full  meaning  here.  The  inevitable 
"hour  come,"  its  fearfulness  and  its  pains,  —  pains 
which  are  the  conditions  of  the  result,  —  the  short- 
ness of  the  time,  the  greatness  of  the  change,  the 
joy  of  new  experiences  and  expectations  on  account 
of  a  life  begun  and  a  "  man  born  into  the  world  "  — 
all  concur  to  describe  the  critical  hour  in  the  sfreat 
history  of  redemption.  I  cannot  agree  with  those 
who  would  reduce  the  resemblance  only  to  the 
succession  and  contrast  of  sorrow  and  joy,  exclu- 
sive of  the  fundamental  fact  of  l)irth,  which  is  in 
each  case  the  cause  of  all.  In  Christ  the  human 
nature,  which  He  had  made  his  own,  received  a 


300  THE  discoursp:.s 


new  birth  through  death  and  resurrection.  He 
came  forth,  as  it  is  written,  "  the  firstborn  from 
the  dead "  (Col.  i.  18) ;  and,  through  a  crisis  in 
which  the  analogy  holds,  as  the  Apostles  expressed 
it,  "  God  having  loosed  {ra<i  o)B2va<i')  the  birth- 
pains  of  death,  because  it  was  not  possible  that  he 
should  be  holden  of  it"  (Acts  ii.  24). 

To  the  disciples  at  the  time,  this  character  of 
the  crisis  was,  of  course,  unknown ;  yet  were  they 
participants  in  its  experiences  through  their  real 
union  with  their  Lord,  a  reason  which  is  implied 
in  the  word  "  therefore.''^  "  And  ye  therefore  now 
have  sorrow."  The  association  of  their  hearts 
with  Him  made  them,  in  their  own  way,  sharers  in 
the  anguish  of  the  time,  as  it  afterwards  made 
them  sharers  in  the  joy  which  followed.  The 
sorrow  is  spoken  of  in  the  present  tense  (^vvv  fiev 
€-)(eTe)^  "  Ye  have  it  now  "  ;  for  its  first  sad  amaze- 
ment was  already  upon  them.  The  joy  is  expressed 
in  the  future  as  lying  beyond  it.  "  I  will  see  you 
—  your  hearts  shall  rejoice."  There  can  be  no 
reasonable  doubt  as  to  the  moment  of  the  change. 
As  the  sorrow  was  felt  under  the  shadow  of  death, 
so  the  joy  was  found  in  the  light  of  resurrection. 
It  broke  upon  them,  when  "  Jesus  stood  in  the 
midst,  and  said  unto  them.  Peace  be  unto  you ; 
and  when  he  had  so  said,  he  shewed  them  his 
hands  and  his  side.  Then  were  the  discii)les  glad 
when  they  saw  the  Lord"  (xx.  19,  20). 


XVIII  THE    SOREOW   AND   THE    JOY  301 

Some  recent  commentators,  guarding,  as  it  ap- 
pears, against  the  limitation  of  this  promise  to 
"  the  external  seeing  of  the  Risen  One,"  have 
shewn  a  disposition  to  slight  the  application  to  the 
experiences  of  the  Resurrection,  in  favour  of  "  the 
beholding  Christ  in  the  Spirit."'  They  might  as 
well  slight  the  day  of  Pentecost  in  regard  to  the 
promise  of  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Ghost  on 
account  of  subsequent  presence.  All  turns  on  the 
Resurrection ;  and  without  the  experiences  of  that 
time  there  Avould  have  been  no  beholding  Christ 
in  the  Spiiit.  Then  was  the  morning  hour.  The 
morning  is  part  of  the  day,  and,  if  with  a  less 
perfect  light,  has  a  freshness  that  is  all  its  own ; 
but  its  joy  consists  in  being  the  commencement  of 
the  day.  So  was  it  with  the  first  fulfilment  of  the 
promises.  "  Ye  shall  see  me  —  I  will  see  you 
ag'ain."  Its  eladness  was  its  own  in  freshness  and 
surprise,  but  really  as  the  earnest  of  permanent 
jo3^  It  was  a  seeing  that  could  never  be  lost  or 
dimmed,  but  on  the  contrary  grew  clearer  as  it 
became  more  spiritual.  Therefore  is  it  not  only 
said,  "  Your  hearts  shall  rejoice,"  but  also,  "  Your 
joy  no  one  taketh  away  from  you."  How  could  it 
be  taken  away  ?  "  Christ,  being  raised  from  the 
dead,  dieth  no  more :  death  hath  no  more  domain 
over  him.  For  the  death  that  he  died,  he  died 
unto  sin  once;  but  the  life  that  he  liveth,  he 
livetli  unto  God"  (Rom.  vi.  9,  10).     The  living 


302  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

Lord  is  the  joy  of  liis  people ;  and,  because  his  life 
is  eternal,  their  joy  is  permanent  and  secure.  Let 
there  be  in  our  hearts  the  faith  which  unites  our 
lives  with  his,  and  there  comes  a  crowning  sense 
of  secure  possession  of  all  which  that  life  includes. 
Then  "  we  are  persuaded,  that  neither  death  nor 
life,  nor  angels,  nor  principalities,  nor  things  pres- 
ent, nor  things  to  come,  nor  powers,  nor  height, 
nor  depth,  nor  any  other  creature,  shall  be  able  to 
separate  us  from  the  love  of  God  which  is  Christ 
Jesus  our  Lord." 

These  are  the  confidences  of  faith,  belonging 
to  the  day  Avliich  now  is.  Beyond  it  there  is 
another  day  to  break,  with  another  kind  of  seeing, 
and  another  kind  of  joy  ;  but  that  final  prospect  is 
only  implicitly  included  in  the  language  of  the 
present  promises. 


THE    INTEUCUURSE   OF   THE   FUTURE  803 


CHAPTER    XIX 

THE   INTERCOURSE   OF    THE   FUTURE 


The  question  on  the  mystery  of  disappearance 
and  reappearance  has  obtained  a  larger  explana- 
tion, not  as  to  the  manner  of  it,  but  as  to  tlie 
character  of  this  "  little  while,"  as  tlie  inevitable 
hour  of  transition,  and  as  to  its  effects  in  brief 
anguish  and  lasting  joy.  But  another  question 
has  been  raised  by  the  enquiry  itself,  by  the  fear 
to  utter  it,  so  unlike  the  usual  habit,  and  by  the 
spontaneous  answer  which  it  obtained.  These 
mutual  communications  which  have  hitherto  sub- 
sisted—  are  they  reaching  their  end?  This  inter- 
course between  the  Master  and  the  disciples  — 
how  can  it  be  resumed  after  the  great  changes 
which  are  at  hand?  The  verses  which  follow 
deal  with  the  subject  of  enquiries  and  applications 
on  the  one  side,  and  answers  and  instructions  on 
the  other,  —  in  fact,  the  intercourse  of  the  future 
as  compared  with  that  of  the  past.  They  there- 
fore  form   one   section,  notwithstanding   apparent 


304  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

breaks,  and  a  section  that  comes  naturally  at  the 
close  of  the  discourse,  which  is  itself  the  close  of 
these  communications  in  the  flesh. 

How  unspeakably  precious  has  this  intercourse 
been !  how  quickening  and  elevating  and  inform- 
ing !  how  inexhaustible  in  its  interest  I  how  open 
and  easy  in  its  confidence  !  Freely  have  the  disci- 
ples uttered  the  thoughts  that  were  in  their  minds, 
and  asked  the  questions  that  rose  to  their  lips, 
save  only  in  some  exceptional  moments  when  it 
is  noticed  that  a  special  sense  of  awe  arrested  the 
usual  habit. 

"  What  might  this  parable  mean  ?  —  Declare  unto  us  this 
parable  ?  —  Why  speakest  thou  to  them  in  parables  ? —  Who 
then  can  be  saved? — Knowest  thou  that  the  Pharisees  were 
offended  ? —  How  say  the  Scribes  that  Klias  must  first  come  ? 
—  Why  could  not  we  cast  him  out  ?  —  We  have  left  all  and 
followed  thee;  what  shall  we  have  therefore?  —  Lord,  add 
to  us  faith.  —  Lord,  teach  us  to  pray." 

Thus  naturally  and  truthfully  had  they  been 
used  to  ask ;  and  ready  and  kindly  were  the 
answers  given  to  their  words,  and  still  more  to 
their  thoughts.  There  never  was,  there  never 
could  be,  any  converse  so  stimulating  to  the  mind, 
so  purifying  to  the  heart,  one  which  so  enlightened 
ignorance  and  corrected  error,  which  entered  so 
deeply  into  the  secrets  of  the  soul,  or  threw  such 
clear  liglit  on  the  mysteries  of  life,  or  gave  such 
large    materials    for    reflection,    or    such    sudden 


THE   INTEUCOURSE   OF   THE   FUTURE  305 


flashes  of  discovery  of  the  heights  and  the  depths 
of  truth.  Bare  and  desolate  in  comparison  seemed 
every  other  quarter  to  which  an  enquiring  mind 
coukl  turn  :  "  Lord,  to  whom  shall  we  go  ?  Thou 
hast  words  of  eternal  life."  What  is  now  to  become 
of  this  intercourse,  which  has  been  the  happiness 
of  the  past,  and  this  freedom  of  enquiry,  which  has 
been  a  main  feature  of  it?  How  shall  it  be  in  this 
respect  with  the  future  day  when  the  change  an- 
nounced has  come  ? 

"  In  that  day  ye  shall  ask  me  nothing.  Verily,  verily,  I 
say  unto  you,  If  ye  shall  ask  anything  of  the  Father,  he  will 
give  it  you  in  my  name.  Hitherto  have  ye  asked  nothing  in 
my  name :  ask,  and  ye  shall  receive,  that  your  joy  may  be 

fulfilled. 

"  These  things  have  I  spoken  unto  you  in  proverbs :  the 
hour  Cometh  when  I  shall  no  more  speak  unto  you  in  prov- 
erbs, but  shall  tell  you  plainly  of  the  Father.  In  that  day 
ye  shall  ask  in  my  name  :  and  I  say  not  unto  you  that  I  will 
pray  the  Father  for  you ;  for  the  Father  himself  loveth  you, 
because  ye  have  loved  me,  and  have  believed  that  I  came 
forth  from  the  Father  "  (23-28). 

The  time,  then,  of  familiar  converse  will  be  over: 
yet  it  will  prove  to  be  not  so  much  terminated  as 
transmuted.  "  In  that  day  "  another  kind  of  inter- 
course will  exist. 

That  day  broke  at  the  Resurrection  and  attained 
its  settled  light  at  Pentecost.  Then  "the  hour 
came  "  from  which  things  would  be  as  they  are 
here  described.      In  the  occasional  intercourse  of 


306  THE    DISCOURSES  chap. 

the  forty  days  the  disciples  did  ask  something  and 
hear  something  as  of  old,  yet  the  former  day  of 
living  and  conversing  together  was  over,  and  the 
new  day  had  begun.  Only  there  was  granted  an 
intervening  period  of  twilight  in  which  the  Pres- 
ence shewn  at  unexpected  moments  and  vanishing 
from  sight,  and  sometimes  rather  felt  than  seen, 
prepared  them  for  that  other  kind  of  seeing  and 
for  that  other  kind  of  intercourse  which  were  to 
ensue  and  to  endure. 

But  how  will  that  intercourse  be  new?  Where- 
in will  it  differ  from  that  which  it  succeeds  ?  This 
is  what  the  Lord  tells  them ;  assuring  its  future 
privileges  by  the  "  Amen,  amen,  I  say  unto  you," 
which  indicates  the  strength  of  the  affirmation 
and  the  importance  of  the  revelation.  There  will 
be  differences,  He  says,  both  in  the  human  appli- 
cations and  in  the  divine  response. 

The  applications  of  the  disciples  will  be  ad- 
dressed more  immediately  to  God,  and  will  accord- 
ingly take  another  tone.  The  line  of  separation 
is  drawn  by  the  Avords,  "  In  that  day  ye  shall  ask 
me  nothing,"  or  more  literally  and  more  emphati- 
cally (f  ywe  ovK  €pa)T7]a€Te  ovSev'),  "  (Of)  me  ye  shall 
not  ask  anything.  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you. 
If  ye  shall  ask  anything  of  the  Father,  he  will 
give  it  you  in  my  name."  Tlie  difference  in  the 
Person  to  be  inunediately  addressed  is  marked  by 
the  arrangement  of  the  words.     Jesus  present  in 


XIX  THE   INTERCOURSE   OF   THE   FUTURE  307 

the  flesh  has  been  the  recipient  of  questions  and 
appeals,  which  are  now  to  be  addressed  to  the 
Father  to  whom  He  goes ;  for  He  came  not  to 
arrest  our  minds  on  Himself,  but  "-  to  bring  us  to 
God."  Yet  does  He  not  cease  to  have  his  part  in 
this  intercourse  which  He  opens  to  his  people. 
The  passage  combines,  or  so  to  speak  interfuses, 
with  wonderful  completeness,  the  seemingly  diverse 
truths  of  an  immediate  access  to  God  and  the  me- 
diation which  creates  it.  It  is  an  access  open  and 
direct,  and  Jesus  seems,  in  a  sense,  to  retire,  in 
order  to  make  it  so.  "  Me  ye  shall  ask  nothing. 
What  ye  shall  ask  the  Father  He  shall  give.  I 
say  not  that  I  will  pray  the  Father  for  you,  for  the 
Father  himself  loveth  you."  Yet  does  He  with- 
draw from  one  position  only  to  occupy  another; 
He  ceases  to  interpose  in  order  to  introduce. 
"That  which  is  given  of  the  F'ather  is  given  in  his 
name  ;  that  which  is  asked  by  the  applicant  is  to 
be  asked  in  his  name.  Of  that  which  is  asked  in 
his  name  He  says,  "  I  will  do  it " ;  and  of  the 
Father's  personal  love  and  ready  welcome,  that 
it  is  "•  because  ye  have  loved  Me  and  believed  that 
I  came  forth  from  Him."  Thus,  as  the  Apostles 
taught,  He  gives  us  "  access  with  confidence,"  but 
it  is  by  the  faith  of  Him,  and  it  is  "  through  Him 
that  we  have  access  by  one  Spirit  unto  the  Father" 
(Eph.  ii.  18;  iii.  12).  So  the  lines  are  drawn  in 
these  last  words  for  the  doctrine  of  the  Church 


308  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

and  for  the  consciousness  of  Christians  on  the 
great  subject  of  intercourse  with  God.  Thus  by 
tliese  words  of  Jesus  does  the  future  doctrine  of 
the  Church  receive  its  direction  as  to  the  terms 
and  character  of  communion  with  God  in  Christ. 

There  have  been  deflections  from  the  line  thus 
laid  down.  On  the  one  side,  there  has  been  an 
inclination  to  slight  the  necessity  of  the  divine 
economy  of  mediation,  and  to  treat  the  access 
described  as  a  natural  and  independent  right  in 
our  relation  to  the  Father  of  the  Spirits  of  all  flesh. 
On  the  other  side,  there  has  been  a  tendency  to 
give  to  this  mediation  a  character  too  separate, 
and,  as  it  were,  substantial,  almost  arresting  the 
mind  upon  itself.  I  cannot  but  think  that  a  cer- 
tain cast  of  evangelical  religion  among  us  has 
addressed  its  hymns  and  devotions  directly  and 
singly  to  the  name  of  "  Jesus  "  in  a  disproportion- 
ate degree,  and  in  a  tone  not  quite  accordant  with 
his  own  teaching  on  access  to  the  Father.  It  is  a 
failure,  not  in  truth,  but  in  the  proportions  and 
relations  of  the  truth. 

On  the  great  ordinance  of  the  use  in  prayer  of 
the  prevailing  name,  there  has  been  a  previous 
occasion  to  speak.  Its  significance  and  impoi'- 
tance  were  impressed  in  the  early  part  of  the  dis- 
course, as  tliey  are  reaffirmed  at  its  close.  There 
it  was  in  connexion  with  the  works  for  wliich 
special  gifts  would  be  needed  ;  here  it  is  in  respect 


XIX  THE    INTERCOURSE   OF   THE   FUTURE  309 

of  general  intercourse  Avith  God.  But,  as  is  fit, 
it  is  in  this  place  expressed  more  distinctly,  as 
differentiating  the  communications  of  the  future 
from  those  of  the  past,  when,  from  the  nature  of 
the  case,  it  would  have  been  premature.  "  Hith- 
erto have  ye  asked  nothing  in  my  name."  The 
reasons  for  doing  so  were  not  yet  disclosed.  It  is 
also  expressed  more  largely  as  the  means  for  attain- 
ing a  perfected  joy.  "Ask  and  ye  shall  receive, 
that  your  joy  may  be  fulfilled "  (TreTrXT/pw/ieV?;). 
The  joy  which  in  its  essence  none  can  take  away 
from  us,  in  its  measure  may  be  more  scanty  or 
more  full,  in  proportion  to  our  practical  and 
habitual  use  of  the  vast  resources  opened  in  this 
access  to  the  Father. 

The  tone  of  the  communion  of  the  future  is  yet 
further  distinguished  from  that  of  the  past  by  a 
change  in  the  word  which  describes  it.  Two 
words  are  employed  for  asking,  for  which  the 
English  supplies  no  discriminating  equivalents: 
the  one  (kpwrdai)  means  asking,  primarily  in  the 
way  of  enquiry,  secondarily  in  that  of  request; 
the  other  (^alrioi)  asking,  in  the  way  of  petition. 
The  first  word  belongs  to  terms  of  a  nearer  rela- 
tionship than  the  second  does.  The  first  is  used 
(v.  19)  of  the  enquiries  addressed  to  Jesus  by  the 
disciples  (which,  it  is  said,  are  soon  to  cease),  and 
also  (v.  26)  of  the  applications  of  the  Soji  to  the 
Father.     The  second  is  substituted  (v.  23-24)  to 


310  THE   DISCOURSES  "  chap. 

express  the  applications  of  the  disciples  to  God.^ 
This  verbal  distinction  implies  the  difference  in 
the  intercourse  of  the  future  dispensation,  as  com- 
pared with  that  of  the  past,  on  its  human  side ; 
that  is,  in  the  applications  of  men  to  God. 

On  the  other  side,  a  change  is  announced  in  the 
character  of  the  divine  communications.  "  These 
things  have  I  spoken  to  you  in  proverbs  :  the  hour 
Cometh  when  I  shall  no  more  speak  unto  you  in 
proverbs,  but  shall  tell  you  plainly  of  the  Father," 
The  Teacher  will  be  still  the  same,  but  (so  to 
speak)  his  style  will  change.  It  is  obvious  that 
the  words,  "  These  things  have  I  spoken  to  you," 
apply  not  to  this  discourse  only,  though  in  it  the 
proverbial  character  is  conspicuous.  It  applies  to 
the  general  teaching  in  the  time  which  is  ending, 
from  which  that  of  the  coming  time  will  differ. 
The  difference  will  be  that  of  speaking  j^lainly 
X^Trapprjo-ia)  instead  of  speaking  in  proverbs  (eV 
TrapoLfiiais^. 

We  have  no  better  word  than  "proverbs,"  but, 
as  commonly  used,  it  bears  too  narrow  a  meaning. 
We  must  take  it  as  describing  a  prevailing  char- 
acter of  our  Lord's  personal  teaching.     This  we 

1  The  word  ipurdu)  is  also,  in  the  prayer  which  follows,  the 
address  of  Jesus  to  the  Father  (xvii.  9,  15,  20).  I  nowhere  find 
it  employed  of  the  intercourse  of  men  with  God,  save  in  one 
case  of  an  enquiry  rather  than  an  intercession  for  others  (1  John 
V.  10),  wliere  there  is  a  significant  cliange  from  the  words  diriio 
and  alTTj/xa,  which  express  the  actual  petitions. 


XIX  THE   INTERCOURSE    OF   THE   FUTURE  311 

observe,  not  only  in  the  large  amount  of  professed 
parables,  but  in  a  habit  of  proverbial  sayings,  — 
sayings,  that  is,  which  glance  by  us  as  condensed 
and  momentary  parables ;  sidelong  intimations  of 
what  can  scarcely  be  said  directly ;  suggestions  of 
much  which  it  would  take  long  to  tell ;  lessons 
drawn  from  the  visible  scene,  and  interpreting  the 
eloquence  of  nature.  Often  do  these  sayings  take 
the  shape  of  proverbs,  and  have,  in  fact,  become 
proverbs  of  his  kingdom,  being  complete  in  them- 
selves, terse  and  pointed,  fashioned  for  common 
memory  and  common  use  ;  sometimes,  by  strong 
antithesis  or  seeming  parodox,  fitted  to  arouse 
reflection,  and  to  fix  on  the  mind  some  pregnant 
truth  or  principle  of  thought  or  conduct.  This 
character  of  our  Lord's  teaching  is  peculiar  and 
distinctive  and  proper  to  a  ministry  which  was  to 
comprise  the  substance  of  an  entire  revelation,  yet 
only  to  initiate  the  exposition  of  it.  That  initia- 
tory purpose  is  asserted  in  this  discourse ;  and 
the  form  or  method  of  instruction  is  here  repre- 
sented as  an  evidence  that  the  time  for  shewing 
plainly  had  not  then  come,  but  also  as  a  pledge 
that  it  is  about  to  follow. 

This  plainness  (jrapprja-la)  which  is  to  distin- 
guish the  communications  of  the  future  has  on  its 
side  a  larger  sense  than  that  of  mere  plainness  of 
expression.  It  intends  that  freedom  of  speech 
which  follows  when  reserve  is  laid  aside.     Used 


312  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

adverbially,  as  here,  it  is  rendered  in  different 
places  by  the  words  "openly,"  "boldly,"  "  plainly  " ; 
and  as  a  substantive  by  "  boldness,"  "  freedom  of 
speech,"  "confidence."  The  promise  is  that  the 
reserve  imposed  by  a  yet  unfinished  history,  by  a 
manifestation  in  the  flesh,  by  the  incapacity  of  the 
hearers,  and  by  their  graduated  education,  will 
then  be  succeeded  by  clear,  full,  unrestricted  in- 
formation, fitted  to  create  in  those  who  receive  it 
that  "full  assurance  of  understanding"  which 
contributes  so  largely  to  the  "  full  assurance  of 
faith."  Thus  our  Lord  undertook  to  teach,  and 
thus  He  did  teach  in  the  dispensation  of  the 
Spirit,  informing  first  "the  Apostles  whom  He 
had  chosen,"  and  through  them,  and  with  them, 
the  Church  which  they  founded. 

The  subject  of  this  teaching  is  said  to  be  "  con- 
cerning the  Father "  (^rrepl  rov  irarpos:^  ;  and  the 
verb  here  translated  "  tell "  connects  the  teachiner 
with  the  Father  as  its  source  (^airayyeXo),  accord-- 
ing  to  the  best  reading).  The  mention  of  the 
highest  subject  includes  all  that  is  derived  from 
or  subordinate  to  it ;  in  other  words,  all  relations 
of  God  with  men.  So  is  Jesus  Christ  in  heaven 
the  mediator  in  the  communications  of  God  to 
man ;  and  so  also  is  He  mediator  in  the  communi- 
cations of  man  to  God,  for  in  these  "  Ye  will  ask 
in  my  name."  Yet,  as  already  observed,  this 
action   is   guarded   from    an   error   which    might 


XIX  THE    INTERCOURSE    OF   THE   FUTURE  313 

lessen  the  fulness  of  the  access  which  He  gives. 
"  I  will  tell  you  concerning  the  Father  —  but  I 
say  not  that  I  (fc'7<w)  will  ask  the  Father  concern- 
ing you  "  ;  or  (less  literally),  "that  I  will  pray  the 
Father  for  you,"  in  such  a  sense  as  to  supersede 
your  own  rights  of  welcome. 

As  some  minds  have  felt  a  difficulty  in  this 
saying,  and  as  its  subject  is  one  of  prime  impor- 
tance, the  following  observations  may  be  made  :  — 

1.  It  is  07ie  statement^  in  which  the  first  part 
makes  the  second  more  emphatic,  and  guards 
against  the  feeling  that  there  is  any  unwillingness 
in  the  Hearer  of  prayer,  which  the  pleading  of  the 
Son  must  overcome. 

2.  The  ivording  is  guarded.  "  I  do  not  say  that 
I  will  pray  the  Father  for  you."  ^  He  does  not 
say  that  He  will,  neither  does  He  say  that  He  will 
not.  Immediately  after  He  is  heard  saying,  "  I 
pray  for  them  (jrepl  auTwv  epcorco,  the  same  words 
as  here),  for  them  wliom  thou  hast  given  me " 
(xvii.  9),  an  earnest  of  that  enduring  office  of 
which  it  is  written,  "  Who  is  at  the  right  hand  of 
God,  who  also  maketh  intercession  for  us."     The 

1  I  cannot  but  think  that  in  the  rendering,  "  I  will  pray  the 
Father /or  you,"  the  Revisers  have  failed  to  give  the  antithesis 
which  is  presented  in  irepl  rod  warpos  dirayy  eXd  vfuv  and  ipioTTjcrc^ 
Tov  iraripa  wepl  vfiiov.  I  will  tell  you  concerning  the  Father  — 
I  will  ask  the  Father  concerning  you.  The  translation  —  I  will 
pray  for  you  —  requires  that  the  words  "pray"  and  "for"  be 
taken  in  their  larger  sense. 


314  THE   DISCOURSES 


present  words  avoid  any  denial  of  such  general 
intercession,  while  obviating  a  probable  miscon- 
struction. 

3.  The  personal  interest  at  the  throne  of  grace 
is  ascribed  to  a  definite  reason.  "  Because  ye  have 
loved  me  and  have  believed  that  I  came  forth 
from  God."  In  proportion  as  the  petitioner  may 
have  fallen  short  of  this  condition,  and  have  need 
of  restoration  to  it,  there  will  be  felt  a  need  for 
a  more  special  intercession.  So  this  Evangelist 
writes  in  his  Epistle,  "  These  things  write  I  unto 
you,  that  ye  sin  not ;  but  if  any  man  sin,  we  have 
an  Advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the 
righteous ;  and  he  is  tlie  propitiation  for  our  sins  " 
(1  John  ii.  1).  It  is  the  position  of  a  Christian 
as  having  sinned  (evidently  by  definite  act)  which 
is  provided  for  in  the  exercise  of  the  Advocate's 
office,  and  by  his  righteousness  which  covers  the 
sin  of  the  offender.  In  penitence  and  the  pressing 
sense  of  sin  there  is  refuge  in  this  specific  office 
of  Christ,  to  which  we  turn  with  an  authorised 
and  consoling  trust. 

"  When  I  have  erred  and  gone  astray 
Afar  from  thine,  and  wisdom's,  way, 
And  see  no  glimmering,  guiding  ray, 

Then,  Saviour,  plead  for  me. 
When  Satan,  by  my  sins  made  bold, 
Strives,  from  thy  cross,  to  loose  my  hold. 
Then  with  thy  pitying  arms  enfold. 
And  plead,  O  plead  for  me." 


XIX  THE    INTERCOURSE   OF   THE   FUTURE  315 

The  communications  Avith  God  intended  in  the 
text  are  of  another  kind.  They  are  those  of  the 
normal  state  of  confidence,  proper  to  active  love 
to  Jesus  and  settled  faith  in  Him. 

That  love  and  faith  are  here  recognised  in  the 
disciples,  and  they  are  assured  of  the  acceptance 
and  communion  which  will  ensue.  The  love  is 
expressed  as  that  of  personal  affection  (Tre^tX,?/- 
Kare}^  which  makes  them  friends  of  Christ.  But 
this  would  have  been  an  incomplete  condition 
without  the  definite  faith.  "Ye  have  believed 
tliat  I  came  forth  from  the  Father."  Both  must 
go  together  to  create  the  true  relations  with 
Christ.  There  is  need  at  all  times  to  assert  it ; 
there  is  a  special  need  now.  There  is  a  cast  of 
religion  among  us  which  feels  the  wonderful  at- 
traction of  the  person  of  Christ,  and  is  eloquent 
in  sincere  expressions  of  admiration  and  affection 
for  Him  as  known  in  history,  but  which  remains 
silent  before  his  higher  claims,  and  does  not 
advance  into  the  faith  wliich  "  believes  that  He 
came  forth  from  the  Father"  in  the  sense  in 
which  He  Himself  asserts  it.  But  this  faith  is 
the  turning-point,  including,  in  the  way  of  neces- 
sary consequence,  all  his  teaching,  his  work,  and 
his  nature.  Jesus  sees  that  his  disciples  have 
really,  in  measure,  attained  it.  He  recognises 
that  attainment  here,  and  again  affirms  it  in  a  still 
more  solemn  m(.)ment.     "•  Now  they  know  that  ail 


316  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

things  whatsoever  thou  hast  given  me  are  from 
thee  :  for  the  words  which  thou  gavest  me  I  have 
given  them :  and  they  have  received  them,  and 
knew  of  a  truth  that  I  came  forth  from  thee, 
and  they  believed  that  thou  didst  send  me " 
(xvii.  7,  8). 

The  faith  thus  described  is  the  key  of  the  situa- 
tion. It  will  unlock  and  open  all  the  treasures 
that  are  in  Christ.  Therefore  is  it  taken  as  a 
sufficient  conclusion  to  what  has  been  taught  and 
learned,  and  becomes  the  crowning  word  in  a  final 
affirmation,  which  sets  the  seal  upon  this  faith  and 
summarises  in  brief  and  precise  words  the  mission 
of  Christ  in  relation  to  the  Father  and  to  the 
world,  as  interpreted  by  its  origin  and  its  end. 

"  I  came  out  from  the  Father  and  am  come  into  the  world. 
Again  I  leave  the  world  and  go  to  the  Father." 

According  to  the  preferable  reading  the  significant 
change  of  the  preposition  (e/c  in  place  of  Trapa) 
makes  the  truth  as  enunciated  by  the  Lord  deeper 
than  the  truth  as  apprehended  by  the  disciples.^ 

1  On  this  point  it  is  sufficient  to  cite  the  note  of  our  most 
careful  commentator : 

"  No  phrase  could  express  more  completely  unity  of  essence 
than  the  true  original  of  tliese  words  {i^ijXdov  ck).  Thus  the' 
Lord,  wliile  he  recognises  the  faith  of  the  disciples,  lays  before 
them  a  revelation  of  deeper  mysteries.  The  verse  is,  indeed, 
a  brief  summary  of  the  wliole  historic  work  of  Christ ;  clause 
answers  to  clause  :  the  Mission,  the  Nativity  ;  the  Passion,  the 
Ascension."  —  Westcott. 


XIX  THE   INTERCOURSE   OF   THE   FUTURE  317 

But  however  it  may  be  read,  and  however  it  was 
then  apprehended,  one  thing  was  certain.  This 
Last  utterance  of  Jesus  was  decisive  on  the  char- 
acter of  his  appearing  in  the  world.  He  was  not, 
then,  as  He  had  seemed  to  be,  a  member  of  the 
human  family  and  a  part  of  the  visible  scene  in 
the  same  sense  that  other  men  are.  "  I  am  come 
into  the  world  and  again  I  leave  the  world,"  are 
acts  of  personal  M'ill,  making  life  on  earth  a  volun- 
tary visit.  "I  came  out  from  the  Father,  and  I 
go  to  the  Father "  are  revelations  of  an  eternal 
home  in  God.  Tlius  the  life  of  Jesus  upon  earth 
stands  out  in  a  new  light,  cast  upon  its  brief  pas- 
sage by  its  origin  and  its  end,  and  thrown  into 
high  relief  on  the  background  of  an  eternity  before 
it  and  after  it.  What  must  be  the  purpose  of  such 
a  visit  to  the  world !  What  must  be  the  efficacy 
of  its  work,  and  the  authority  of  its  words !  Does 
not  this  explain  much  that  had  been  past  compre- 
hension? Does  it  not  make  miracle  natural,  and 
deep  sayings  inevitable  ?  Certainly  there  is  a 
proportion  in  things,  above  all  in  things  divine  : 
and  He  who  "  came  forth  from  the  Father  and  was 
come  into  the  world,  and  again  was  leaving  the 
world  to  p'O  to  the  Father"  must  have  come  for 
a  predestined  purpose  to  which  word  and  deed 
would  correspond.  The  special  acts  are,  then,  no 
longer  matter  for  wonder;  tlie  wonder  would  be 
if    they   had    not    been    special.     Such    a    mission 


318  THE    DISCOURSES  chap. 

must  have  its  own  laws  of  necessity  (^to  Seov')  and 
of  fitness  (^to  irpeTrov).  This  announcement,  not 
new,  but  now  more  plainly  made,  might  well  be 
felt  to  harmonise  all  that  has  been  spoken  and 
interpret  all  that  has  been  done. 


THE   LAST   WORDS  319 


CHAPTER   XX 

THE   LAST   WORDS 
V.  29-33 

Now  no  longer  questioning  with  one  another, 
but  speaking  out  with  common  voice. 

"  His  disciples  say,  Lo,  now  speakest  thou  plainly,  and 
speakest  no  proverb.  Now  know  we  that  thou  knowest  all 
things,  and  needest  not  that  any  man  should  ask  thee :  By 
this  we  believe  that  thou  earnest  forth  from  God  "  (29,  30). 

They  speak  as  men  who  find  their  thoughts  under- 
stood, and  feel  their  minds  relieved.  We  almost 
wonder  at  this  decisive  effect  of  a  saying,  which 
seems  but  little  in  advance  of  what  had  been 
spoken  before.  But  the  effect  is  evident.  The 
word  had  been,  to  them,  a  concise  interpretation 
of  their  Lord's  mission  and  person,  making  clear 
and  certain  what  had  been  dimly  or  doubtfully 
apprehended.  Jesus  had  said  that  a  time  was 
coming  when  He  would  speak  plainly ;  and  He 
is  speaking  plainly  now :  a  time  when  they  would 
not  ask  Him  anything ;  and  now  they  have  not 
needed  to  ask.      The  spontaneous  word  has  an- 


320  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

swered  and  dispelled  the  last  hesitations  of  faith. 
"By  this,"  they  ciy,  or  (moie  literally)  "7w  this," 
—  this  sense  of  a  direct  communion  and  inter- 
penetration  of  spirit,  —  "  in  this  we  believe  that 
thou  camest  forth  from  God."  ^ 

The  rejoinder  comes  quickly,  falling  strangely 
on  their  ears : 

"  Jesus  answered  them,  Do  ye  now  believe  ?  Behold,  the 
hour  Cometh,  yea,  is  now  come,  that  ye  shall  be  scattered, 
every  man  to  his  own,  and  shall  leave  me  alone"  (31,  32). 

Well  might  the  question  be  asked;  if  the  faith 
which  should  bring  confidence,  elevation,  and 
strength  will  break  down  in  an  instant,  even  in 
the  course  of  the  next  hour.  Yet  is  the  faith 
real.  It  has  just  been  recognised :  "  Ye  have  be- 
lieved that  I  came  forth  from  the  Father"  (27). 
A  moment  later  it  will  be  still  more  solemnly 
affirmed.  "  They  have  known,  of  a  truth,  that  I 
came  forth  from  thee  ;  and  they  believed  that  thou 
didst  send  me"  (xvii.  8).  Hence  many  commen- 
tators,^ thinking  that  the  faith  cannot  be  ques- 
tioned, read  the  words  as  indicative,  not  as  inter- 

1  It  is  observable  that  the  three  prepositions  used  in  tlie  sev- 
eral statements,  and  all  rendered  "from,"  give  precisely  three- 
different  measures  of  apprehension  of  the  truth :  airb  (here) 
gives  the  least  defined  relation,  expressed  by  the  disciples  them- 
selves ;  irap6.  (v.  27),  the  more  close  and  personal,  virtually 
recognised  by  them  ;  ex  (v.  28),  the  most  intimate  and  pro- 
found, present  to  the  mind  of  the  Lord. 

-  E.g.  Bengel,  Luthardt,  Godet,  Slier. 


XX  THE   LAST   WORDS  321 

rogative :  "Now  ye  do  believe."  But  it  is  better 
as  we  read  it,  connecting  more  naturally  with  what 
follows.  The  question  is  not  a  denial,  nor  even  a 
doubt  on  the  part  of  the  speaker:  rather  it  is 
an  exclamation  prompted  by  the  scene  which  rises 
to  his  view.  In  all  its  striking  contrast  between 
word  and  deed,  it  would,  of  itself,  and  to  one 
who  did  not  know  the  heart,  suggest  a  question 
of  dissent.  The  "  now  "  which  the  disciples  had 
alleged  as  of  a  state  attained,  is  altered  to  another 
"  now,"  expressive  of  the  actual  juncture,^  the 
very  moment.  "Behold,"  He  says,  "the  hour 
cometh,  yea,  is  come,  that  ye  shall  be  scattered, 
every  man  to  his  own,  and  shall  leave  me  alone." 
What  kind  of  faith  is  this  Avhich  will  be  tested 
with  such  a  result?  If  it  be  true,  yet  how  doubt- 
ful at  the  time !  how  unlike  what  was  supposed ! 
how  precarious  and  infirm !  To  many  believers 
have  such  moments  of  failure  come,  with  like 
experimental  discoveries.  Rather,  we  must  say, 
who  has  not  known  them  ?  The  question,  "  Do 
you  now  believe  ?  "  has  often  struck  on  our  hearts 
with  the  awakening  power  of  a  just  reproach. 

The  words  which  tell  of  the  weakness  of  the 
disciples,  at  the  same  time  reveal  the  feelings  of 
the  Lord.  He  sees  these  lovers  and  believers, 
such  as  they  were,  all  the  friends  He  had  on 
earth,   in   sudden  panic   fugitive   and  gone,  scat- 

1  vOv  oiSafiev — dpn  iricTTtiifTe  ; 
V 


322  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

tered  each  to  his  own,  the  very  brotherhood  broken 
as  having  lost  its  unifying  centre,  and  Himself 
left  alone  with  his  enemies.  It  must  be  so. 
"Smite  the  shepherd,"  it  was  written,  "and  the 
sheep  shall  be  scattered."  Alone  He  must  be  ; 
for  none  could  share  his  work,  as  was  said  in 
prophecy,  "  I  have  trodden  the  wine  press  alone, 
and  of  the  people  there  was  none  with  me."  But 
neither  the  fulfilment  of  prophecy,  nor  the  neces- 
sary course  of  events,  preclude  the  natural  feelings. 
Even  when  there  can  be  no  partnership  or  help, 
there  is  comfort  in  faithful  companionship.  Jesus 
owned  that  comfort  when  He  said,  "  Ye  are  they 
who  have  continued  with  me  in  my  temptations." 
He  asked  it  when  He  said,  "  Tarry  ye  here  and 
watch  with  me."  If  all  loving  hearts  know  it, 
it  could  not  but  be  known  to  the  most  loving 
heart  of  all.  But  it  is  to  be  lost  at  the  crisis  of 
need ;  and  there  is  not  merely  a  statement  of  fact, 
but  a  genuine  tone  of  sadness  in  the  words  "And 
shall  leave  me  alone."  Desertion  and  loneliness 
in  the  day  of  danger  and  distress  are  always 
deeply  felt.  So  it  was  with  St.  Paul,  "At  my 
first  answer  no  man  stood  with  me,  but  all  for- 
sook me :  may  it  not  bo  laid  to  their  charge  "  (2 
Tim.  iv.  16).  Not  with  soreness,  but  with  tender- 
ness, is  this  trial  mentioned  here.  It  was  right 
that  the  hearers  should  know  that  it  was  felt: 
yet  not  in  the  way  of  reproach,  for  a  consoling 
thought  goes  with  it. 


XX  THE   LAST   WORDS  323 

"  Ye  shall  leave  me  alone, 

"  And  I  am  not  alone ;  because  the  Father  is  with  me." 

Then  there  is  no  real  lonelmess.  The  forsaking 
of  men  and  the  loss  of  human  companionship  are 
sad,  but  the  unseen  fellowship  remains  as  an  un- 
changing consciousness.  Only  as  the  climax  of 
anguish  will  there  be  the  final  mystery  of  its 
suspension.  The  bitter  cry,  "My  God,  my  God, 
why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?"  tells  of  the  opposite 
and  habitual  experience  over  which  that  dark 
cloud  was  passing. 

"  I  am  not  alone,  because  the  Father  is  with 
me."  Very  thankful  have  believers  ever  been  for 
these  words,  which  find,  as  they  were  meant  to 
find,  an  echo  in  their  hearts.  Loneliness  is  one 
of  the  trials  incidental  to  the  Christian  state,  and 
in  some  circumstances  a  necessary  consequence 
of  its  principles.  A  bereaved  person  left  alone 
in  the  world,  a  solitary  missionary  among  the 
heathen,  a  child  of  God  in  tents  of  Kedar,  a  godly 
member  of  an  irreligious  family,  a  pastor  labour- 
ing without  help  or  sympathy,  —  these  and  others 
in  like  conditions  have  known  the  truth  and  com- 
fort of  the  words,  being  well  assured  that,  if  they 
belonged  to  Christ,  they  belong  of  right  to  all  tliat 
are  in  Him.  For  them,  indeed,  this  presence  of 
the  Father  is  made  more  close  as  coming  through 
the  presence  of  the  Son.  "Truly  our  fellowship 
is  with  the  Father  and  with  his  Son  Jesus  Christ " 


324  THE   DISCOURSES  chap. 

(1  John  i.  3).  Thus  through  all  ages  and  in  vari- 
ous trials  and  emergencies  have  the  disciples  of 
Jesus  found  his  words  fulfilled  in  themselves, 
'*  Not  alone,  because  the  Father  is  with  me." 

The  time  is  now  past,  and  the  discourse  must 
end.  The  needful  teaching  has  been  left  to  the 
Church  for  ever,  but  in  words  addressed  to  tlie 
men  there  present,  in  loving  care  for  their  actual 
necessities  and  for  the  experiences  on  which  they 
must  enter. 

"  These  things  have  I  spoken  unto  you  that  in  me  ye  may 
have  peace.  In  the  world  ye  shall  have  tribulation  ;  but  be 
of  good  cheer  :  I  have  overcome  the  world  "  (33). 

Peace,  Tribulation,  Victory,  —  these  are  the 
watchwords  of  the  future,  and  each  is  assigned  to 
its  own  source  and  sphere.  Peace,  the  compre- 
hensive blessing,  the  sense  that  all  is  well,  the 
state  of  a  mind  at  rest,  is  to  be  had  in  Christ, 
the  grounds  of  it  being  in  his  person,  and  the 
enjoyment  of  it  in  union  with  Him.  To  lead  into 
that  union  and  peace  all  these  words  have  been 
spoken.  Tribulation,  the  pressure  of  outward 
suffering  and  inward  trials  of  feelmg,  is  to  be 
endured  in  the  world,  because  of  its  opposing 
forces,  its  ante  gonistic  spirit,  and  its  generally 
disordered  state.  This  experience  already  exists  : 
("  ye  have "  is  the  true  reading,  not  "  ye  shall 
have  ")  it  is  consequent  on  contact  with  the  world. 


XX  THE    LAST   WORDS  325 

Thus  "  the  Church  and  the  Christian  lead  a  two- 
fokl  life,  in  Christ  and  in  the  world  at  the  same 
time,  the  former  as  exact  and  real  as  the  latter,"  ^ 
and,  it  may  be  added,  the  former  often  more  con- 
sciously realised  when  the  latter  is  most  dark  and 
troubled. 

Yet  this  co-existence  of  peace  with  tribulation 
could  not  satisfy,  and  indeed  could  not  be  main- 
tained, if  peace  were  all.  It  is  not  all ;  there  is 
victory,  and  it  is  gained  already.  "  Be  of  good 
cheer :  1  have  overcome  the  world."  The  word 
Oapaelre  — "  be  of  good  cheer,  of  good  courage, 
take  heart,  be  confident "  —  supposes  here,  as  else- 
where, that  there  is  cause  for  depression.^  Indeed, 
there  was  abundant  cause  in  all  that  Avas  to  be 
encountered  and  all  that  was  to  be  borne.  But 
there  was  even  greater  cause  for  courage  and  con- 
fidence. Victory  is  secured.  "  I  have  conquered 
(670)  veviKT]Ka)  ;  I  have  overcome  the  world."  The 
victory  had  been  continuous  all  along  the  line  of 
conflict.  The  work  of  Jesus  had  been  aggressive 
against  the  spirit  and  habits  of  the  world,  and 
defensive  against  its  adverse  influences  and  malig- 
nant efforts.  These  had  been  defeated,  and  He 
had    maintained    his    position    with    unchanging 

1  Luthardt. 

"  dapaei  t^kvov,  Be  of  good  cheer,  child:  thy  sins  are  for- 
given thee  (Matt.  ix.  2).  ddpffei  Oiyarep,  Re  of  good  cheer, 
daughter:  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole  (ix.  22).  dapa-elre, 
Be  of  good  cheer  ;  it  is  I,  be  not  afraid  (xiv.  27). 


326  THE    DISCOURSES  riiAr. 

superiority  and  achieved  his  object  of  establishing 
in  the  heart  of  the  world  the  principles  of  truth 
and  the  powers  of  salvation.  The  victory,  then, 
was  already  decided,  to  be  on  the  morrow  per- 
fected on  the  cross,  whereby  not  only  the  world 
Avas  conquered  in  its  last  desperate  effort,  but  its 
Prince  was  judged  and  crushed.  Therefore  He 
says,  "  I  have  conquered,"  —  marking  by  the  per- 
sonal pronoun  the  victory  as  wholly  his.  "  It  is," 
says  Luther,  in  his  own  fervent  way,  "as  if  He 
wished  to  say:  Write  the  I  with  a  very  large 
letter,  so  as  to  grasp  it  in  your  eyes  and  heart. 
The  victory  is  already  there,  and  all  is  overcome ; 
only  be  undespairing  and  hold  fast  to  it.  All  has 
been  done ;  world,  devil,  and  death  are  beaten  and 
lying  on  the  ground ;  heaven,  righteousness,  and 
life  have  the  victory."  ^ 

Thus  we  witness  the  victory ;  but  we  are  to 
share  it,  else  would  the  call  to  courage  be  vain, 
or  at  least  would  have  only  the  power  of  example. 
The  example  and  the  call  of  a  victorious  leader, 
"the  Captain  of  our  salvation,"  would  naturally 
rouse  the  spirit  of  his  followers ;  but  in  the  pres- 
ent case  there  is  more  than  that.  "  Be  of  good 
cheer ;  I  have  overcome  the  world,"  is  not  only 
a  call,  but  a  promise,  —  a  promise  of  an  associated 
presence  and  communicated  power.  His  servants 
believed  it,  and  found  it  true.  "  Not  I,"  they 
1  Luther,  as  quoted  by  Lutliardt,  iii.  187. 


THE    LAST   WORDS  327 


said,  "  but  Christ  livetli  in  me."     "  I  can  do  all, 
through  the   in-strengthening  Christ."     "I  glory 
in  my  infirmities   that  the  power  of  Christ  may 
rest  upon  me."     "  In  all  these  things  we  are  more 
than  conquerors  through  him  that  loved  us."     The 
last  words  were  spoken  in  view  of  the  greater  trib- 
ulations which  belong  to  the  days  of  keenest  con- 
flict.    But  the  world   is   overcome    not   only  on 
critical  occasions  or  on  some  conspicuous  arena. 
It  is  the  common  history  of  the  children  of  God, 
the  effect  of  the  life  which  is  generated  in  them. 
"  For  whatsoever  is  begotten  of  God  overcometh 
the  world :  and  this  is  the  victory  that  hath  over- 
come the  world,  even  our  faith.     And  who  is  he 
that  overcometh  the  world  but  he  that  believeth 
that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God  ?  "  i     In  obscure  lives 
and  secret  exercises  this  victory  is  evermore  re- 
peated, through  the  same  power  which  the  same 
faith  secures,  sometimes  in  hard-won  battles,  some- 
times  in   serener  conquests.     It  is  St.  John  who 
thus  interprets  his  Master's  word,  and  we  sec  what 
hold  it  laid  upon  his  mind.     Only  four  times  in 
the  rest  of  the  New  Testament  do  we  meet  this 
word    viKav,    "to     conquer     or    overcome,"    and 
twenty-four   times   in   the  writings  of   St.  John. 
It  pervades  the  Apocalypse,  which  is  the  revela- 
tion of  conflict  and  victory ;  and  in  the  Epistles 

1  Gal.  ii.  20  ;  Phil.  iv.  12 ;  2  Cor.  xii.  9  ;  Rom.  vui.  37  ;  1  John 
V.  4,  5. 


328  THE   DISCOURSES  chap,  xx 

to  the  seven  Churches  "  he  that  overcometh  "  is 
heir  of  the  successive  promises.  In  the  last  of 
the  series  these  are  linked  to  the  word  which 
here  announces  the  victory  of  Jesus :  "  He  that 
overcometh  to  him  will  I  give  to  sit  down  with 
me  on  my  throne,  even  as  I  also  overcame  and 
sat  with  my  Father  on  his  throne  "  (Rev.  iii.  11). 
The  word  has  been  reserved  to  the  last  moment. 
Jesus  spake  nothing  prematurely.  Only  when 
the  end  is  come  does  He  use  the  language  of  one 
who  overcomes.  Then  does  He  conclude  his 
teaching  in  the  flesh  with  a  final  saying,  which 
might  breathe  courage  and  confidence  into  the 
disciples  whom  He  leaves,  and  into  those  who  in 
all  generations  should  believe  on  Him  through 
their  testimony.  So  it  is  provided  that  the  last 
word  of  the  last  discourse  shall  sound  the  note 
of  victory  for  ever. 

"BE  OF  GOOD  CHEER; 
I  HAVE  OVERCOME  THE  WORLD." 


Paet    III 
THE  PRAYER 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.     Its  Scope  and  Order 331 

II.     For  his  Work  and  Glory      .....     340 

2  Sections. 

HI.     1h)U  the  Disciples 359 

4  Sections. 
IV.     For  All  Believers 385 

3  Sections. 

Y.     The  Sequel 407 

329 


Part  III 
THE   PRAYER 

CHAPTER  I 

SCOPE   AND   ORDER 

"These  things  spake  Jesus,  and  liftinc;  up  his  eyes  to  heaven, 
he  said,  Father,  the  hour  is  come." 

So  discourse  to  men  lias  passed  into  converse 
with  God. 

Tlie  disciples  stand  by  in  silent  and  absorbed 
attention  while  the  words  of  this  high  communion 
fall  distinctly  on  their  ears.  Their  minds,  exalted 
by  the  great  thoughts  through  which  they  have  been 
led,  have  just  found  vent  in  the  confession,  "  Now 
we  believe  that  thou  camest  forth  from  God."  All 
the  more  intense  must  have  been  the  feelings  with 
which  they  found  themselves  present  at  an  act  of 
divine  intercourse,  such  as,  it  appears,  they  had 
not  been  privy  to  before.  We  read  that  "  Jesus 
was  alone,  praying,"  that  He  "  went  into  a  moun- 
tain to  pray,"  that  He  "continued  all  night  in 
prayer  to  God " ;   but  his  followers  were  not  ad- 

331 


332  THE   PRAYER 


mitted  to  those  retirements.  Only  at  some  critical 
moment,  as  when  the  results  of  the  ministry  be- 
came apparent,^  or  at  the  grave  of  Lazarus,^  or  in 
the  strain  of  feeling  on  occasion  of  the  ap})eal  of 
the  Greeks,^  ejaculations  of  deep  significance  had 
been  heard  from  his  lips.  But  this  is  no  momen- 
tary utterance.  It  is  a  collected  sustained  address 
to  the  Father,  at  the  close  of  the  mission  upon 
earth,  presenting  the  work  which  has  been  done, 
demanding  the  glory  that  should  follow,  and  plead- 
ing for  those  who  must  be  left,  and  for  the  course 
and  consummation  of  their  service.  The  sense  of 
so  great  a  confidence  was  a  new  experience  to  the 
disciples,  thus  attending  their  Master  into  the 
secret  jDlace  of  the  Most  High. 

We  in  a  measure  share  their  feelings,  and  de- 
sire, likewise,  to  share  them  in  silence.  Students, 
expositors,  commentators  find  themselves  in  a  dif- 
ferent relation  to  words  when  they  are  spoken,  not 
to  men,  but  to  God.  Yet,  as  spoken  aloud,  they 
have  a  secondary  purpose,  and  assume  a  char- 
acter that  brings  them  more  within  our  reach. 
"Orat  Patrem,"says  Bengel,  "simulque  discipulos 
docet."  He  prays  the  Father  and  at  the  same 
time  teaches  the  disciples.  If  so,  reflection  be- 
comes a  duty,  and  the  expression  of  it  is  made' 
a  right.  Yet  the  treatment  of  words  belonging 
to  another  level  of  intercourse  than  that  on  which 
1  Matt,  xi,  25,  2G.  2  john  xi.  41,  42.  s  xii.  27,  28. 


I  SCOPE   AND   ORDER.  333 

we  stand,  must  be  restricted  by  a  special  rever- 
ence and  a  greater  sense  of  incompetence.  A 
commentator  seems  to  hear  the  warning,  "  Be  not 
rash  with  thy  mouth,  and  let  not  thine  heart  be 
hasty  to  utter  anything  before  God:  for  God  is 
in  heaven,  and  thou  upon  earth ;  therefore  let 
thy  words  be  few"  (Ecc.  v.  2).  It  is  also  the 
more  proper  that  they  should  be  few,  inasmuch 
as  the  Prayer  gives  final  utterance  to  preceding 
thoughts,  and  its  topics  therefore  are,  to  a  cer- 
tain extent,  the  same  as  those  which,  in  their  di- 
dactic application  to  men,  have  been  here  treated  of 
already.  On  these  accounts  I  attend  the  ascend- 
ing Prayer  with  less  certainty  of  verbal  interpreta- 
tion, and  with  more  restricted  observations,  and 
as  following  at  a  greater  distance,  tlian  was  the 
case  in  listening  to  the  Discourses. 

In  passing  from  the  one  kind  of  utterance  to 
the  other,  we  must  make  the  transition,  in  the 
first  place,  with  a  due  sense  of  the  relation  be- 
tween the  two.  We  must  think  of  the  Prayer, 
not  as  separate  from  the  Discourses,  nor  as  an 
appendix  to  them,  but  as  their  proper  consum- 
mation, winchng  up  all  that  has  been  spoken  and 
linking  it  to  the  throne  of  God.  The  revelations, 
instructions,  and  promises,  made  to  the  disciples, 
receive  the  highest  possible  interpretation  and 
confirmation  when  resumed  in  the  converse  of 
the  Son  with  the  Father.     They  hear  then,  how 


334  THE   PRAYER 


their  own  state  is  regarded,  how  their  own  inter- 
ests are  pleaded,  and  their  own  prospects  are  dis- 
closed in  an  act  of  divine  communion,  which  to 
that  end  is  made  audibly  in  their  presence.  In 
this  sense  it  is  a  part  of  the  teaching  which  they 
receive,  and  an  essential  part  of  it,  shewing  it  as 
sealed  and  registered  in  heaven.  The  Prayer  is  to 
the  Discourses  an  act  and  deed  of  ratification,  a 
sealing  and  signing  of  their  teaching  before  God. 
So  Calvin  has  said,  "  This  prayer  of  Christ  was  a 
sealing  of  the  precious  teaching,  as  well  that  it 
should  be  ratified  in  itself,  as  that  it  should  create 
sure  faith  in  his  disciples."  So  also  Bengel.  "  In 
this  prayer  He  embraces  all  that  from  chapter  xiii. 
31  He  has  said,  and  sets  his  seal  to  all  things 
already  done,  looking  to  things  past,  present,  and 
future.  It  is  a  tacit  intimation  of  the  new  Pente- 
cost at  hand.  Who  would  not  rejoice  that  these 
things  which  Jesus  spake  with  the  Father  are 
written  and  remain  ?  In  all  the  Scripture  this 
chapter  is  in  words  most  easy,  in  their  meanings 
most  profound."  This  "  obsignation  "  of  the  Dis- 
courses is  justly  noted  by  these  authorities  as  the 
effect  and  purpose  of  the  audible  Prayer. 

It  is  indeed  from  a  lofty  and  serene  standpoint 
that  Jesus  here  surveys  tlie  past  and  the  future, 
binding  together  the  ministry,  now  ended  on  earth, 
with  the  history  which  is  to  follow,  and  disclosing 
in  clearer  light  both  the  human  and  the  divine  in 


I  SCOPE   AND   ORDER  335 

his  own  person,  and  the  offices  which  He  fulfils 
for  us. 

First,  then,  regarding  the  Prayer  as  a  whole  in 
this  last  point  of  view,  we  feel  how  it  completes 
the  impression  previously  made  in  regard  to  the 
person  of  Christ.  If  there  is  any  light  in  us,  it  is 
when  we  are  speaking  to  God  that  we  recognise 
our  real  state  and  stand  in  our  true  position.  On 
what  terms  then,  and  in  what  tones,  does  Jesus 
on  earth  converse  with  the  Father  in  heaven  ? 
This  prayer  is  solitary  among  all  the  prayers  of 
mankind,  separated  from  all  others  by  a  perfect 
illumination,  which  is  at  the  same  time  a  perfect 
repose.  It  has  no  voice  of  confession,  deprecation, 
supplication ;  no  echo,  however  distant,  of  recog- 
nition of  sin,  no  tone  that  is  touched  with  a  feel- 
ing of  demerit  or  defect;  only  the  certain  con- 
sciousness, "  I  have  glorified  thee  on  the  earth ;  I 
have  finished  the  work  which  thou  gavest  me  to 
do."  There  is  no  intimation  of  infirmity  or  en- 
treaty for  help ;  for  self  only  one  request,  "  Glorify 
thy  Son  that  thy  Son  also  may  glorify  thee."  So 
much  may  be  said  on  tliB  side  of  the  human  history. 
But  there  are  deeper  tones  than  those  of  human 
sinlessness.  How  significant,  how  eloquent,  is  the 
simplicity  of  the  address !  a  single  word  marking 
the  true  relation,  "  Father,  Hol}^  Father,  Right- 
eous Father !  "  ^     Then  the  ineffable  union,  which 

1  It  is  an  important  observation  of  St.  Cyril,  quoted  by  C.  a 
Lapide.    "  It  is  in  God  a  greater  thing  to  be  the  Father  than  to  be 


336  THE   PRAYER 


this  relation  implies,  is  expressed  in  the  assertion 
of  its  eternal  pre-existence,  before  the  world  was 
in  the  mystery  of  mutual  indwelling,  "  As  thou. 
Father,  art  in  me  and  I  in  thee,"  and  then  in  the 
We  and  Us  —  "That  they  maybe  one  as  we  are; 
that  they  may  be  one  in  us  "  —  language  in  which 
no  mere  human  being  could  speak  to  God ;  and 
again  in  the  final  "/  M'i7/,"  where  man  could  only 
say,  "  I  pray."  Briefly  and  reverently  we  note 
these  intimations  concerning  the  person  of  Christ. 
The  Prayer  gives  light,  also,  on  his  offices. 
"  Consider,"  it  is  said,  "  the  Apostle  and  High 
Priest  of  our  profession,  Christ  Jesus "  (Heb. 
iii.  1).  We  see  Him  here  in  both  offices.  As 
Apostle  He  gives  in  the  account  of  his  mission. 
In  human  embassies,  one  who  has  been  sent  on 
a  commission  reports  himself  (as  the  saying  is) 
when  it  has  been  fulfilled.  Such  is  one  aspect 
of  this  Prayer.  "  I  have  finished  the  work  which 
thou  gavest  me  to  do  "  —  "I  have  manifested  thy 
name  unto  the  men  whom  thou  gavest  me  "  —  "I 
have  given  them  the  words  which  thou  gavest 
me  "  —  "I  liave  kept  tliem  in  thy  word."  The 
apostolic  work  on  earth  is  done,  and  that  commis- 
sion has  been  fulfilled.  While  the  Apostle  closes 
his  embassy,  the   High   Priest   begins   his    office'. 

Lord  :  because,  as  the  Father,  lie  beyat  his  con  substantial  Son, 
but  as  Lord  He  made  the  creatures  which  are  infinitely  inferior 
to  Him." 


1  SCOPE   AND   ORDER  337 

He  who  has  spoken  for  God  to  men  now  speaks 
for  men  to  God.  He  makes  intercession  as  Head 
of  his  Church ;  standing,  too,  in  his  own  con- 
sciousness on  the  last  step  of  the  altar  on  which 
He  is  about  to  offer  the  sacrifice  of  Himself ;  after- 
wards to  pass  through  the  true  tabernacle  into  the 
holiest  of  all ;  there  to  continue  the  intercession 
which  He  here  begins  in  what  has  from  old  time 
been  designated  as  the  "  High-priestly  Prayer." 
Thus  the  two  sides  of  the  mediating  office  —  the 
apostolate  from  God  to  men  and  the  priesthood 
for  men  to  God  —  are  revealed  in  their  connexion 
with  each  other,  and  represented  in  the  hearing  of 
the  little  company  who  will  develop  into  the 
future  Church. 

In  passing  from  these  general  features  of  the 
Prayer  as  a  whole  to  the  consideration  of  it  in 
separate  divisions,  we  find  those  divisions  on  the 
face  of  it.  "  He  prays,"  says  Bengel,  "1.  Concern- 
ing Himself  (v.  1-6)  ;  2.  Concerning  his  Apostles 
(6-20)  ;  3.  Concerning  future  believers  (20  to  the 
end)."  The  division  is  of  practical  service,  but 
not  to  be  taken  as  distinguishing  different  sub- 
jects. There  is  one  subject  throughout ;  namely, 
the  mission  of  Jesus  Christ,  in  the  one  definite  line 
of  intention  and  result  which  bears  on  the  history 
of  his  own.  Other  purposes  outside  that  line  are 
not  denied,  other  consequences  are  not  precluded, 
but   they   have   no   place   here.      The    course    of 

w 


338  THE   PRAYER 


thought  is  consecutive.  The  mission  is  seen  in 
three  stages  of  advance,  —  in  his  work  in  person, 
in  that  by  the  agents  whom  He  leaves,  in  the 
wider  effects  to  follow,  —  his  own  history  involving 
that  of  the  Apostles,  the  history  of  the  Apostles, 
that  of  the  Church. 

There  is  an  evident  correspondence,  though  it 
has  been  scarcely  noticed,  between  these  three 
successive  thoughts  in  the  Prayer  and  the  three 
preliminary  sayings  which  prefaced  the  Discourses 
after  Judas  was  gone.  The  thoughts  then  thrown 
out  in  abrupt  suggestive  utterance  are  now  de- 
liberately expressed  in  the  act  of  communion  with 
the  Father. 

1.  "Now,"  it  was  said,  "is  the  Son  of  Man 
glorified,  and  God  is  glorified  in  him ;  and  God 
shall  glorify  him  in  himself,  and  straightway  shall 
glorify  him  "  (xiii.  31,  32). 

These  words,  with  a  certain  measure  of  expan- 
sion, here  pass  into  prayer. 

2.  "  Little  children,  yet  a  little  while  I  am 
with  you.  Ye  shall  seek  me :  and,  as  I  said  unto 
the  Jews,  Whither  I  go  ye  cannot  come ;  so  now 
I  say  to  you"  (33). 

The  thoughts  attendant  on  this  departure  and 
separation  are  here  developed  into  the  requests 
for  those  whom  He  has  hitherto  kept  and  now 
must  leave,  which  form  the  second  division  of  the 
Prayer. 


I  SCOPE   AND   ORDER  339 

3.  "  A  new  commandment  I  give  unto  you, 
that  ye  love  one  another;  even  as  I  have  loved 
you,  that  ye  also  love  one  another.  By  this  shall 
all  men  know  that  ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye  have 
love  one  to  another"  (34,  35). 

This,  again,  is  the  fundamental  desire  which 
here  rises  into  the  final  aspirations  for  the  oneness 
of  his  people  in  love,  and  their  oneness  in  Himself 
and  in  the  Father. 

Such  a  correspondence  of  the  end  with  the  be- 
ginning exhibits  a  fixity  of  idea  and  continuity  of 
feeling,  and  constitutes  the  whole  course  of  com- 
munication an  orderly  development  of  the  mind 
of  Christ  in  the  hour  of  the  great  Farewell. 


340  THE   PRAYER 


CHAPTER   II 

FOR   HIS   WORK   AND   GLORY 

Section  1 

V.  1-3 

"  Father,  the  hour  is  come :  glorify  thy  Son,  that  the  Son  may 
glorify  tliee  :  even  as  thou  gavest  him  authority  over  all 
flesh,  that  whatsoever  thou  hast  given  him,  to  them  he 
should  give  eternal  life.  And  this  is  life  eternal,  that  they 
should  know  thee,  the  only  true  God,  and  him  whom  thou 
didst  send,  Jesus  Christ." 

"Father,  the  hour  is  come";  the  hour,  pre- 
destined and  decisive,  on  which  all  depends,  con- 
summation of  the  past  and  condition  of  the  future. 
Yet  is  it  unexplained.  This  silence  is  eloquent. 
So  it  is  with  us,  when  one  speaks  to  another  in 
the  confidence  of  a  common  interest  and  a  perfect 
mutual  understanding. 

All  that  need  be  spoken  is  the  prayer  which 
belongs  to  the  hour :  "  Glorify  thy  Son,  that  the 
Son  may  glorify  thee."  It  is  a  request  funda- 
mental and  comprehensive.  As  the  first  word  of 
the  Discourse,  "  Ye  believe  in  (xod,  believe  also  in 
me,"  was  the  ground-thought  of  all  that  was  to 


II  FOR    HIS    WORK    AND    GLORY  341 

be  taught,  so  is  this  first  word  of  the  Prayer  the 
ground'-thought  of  all  that  is  to  be  asked.  All 
rests  on  the  relation,  "  Father  —  thy  Son  "  ,  and 
this  is  expressed  more  pointedly  than  the  English 
can  give  it  (not,  as  usually  rov  vlov  aov,  but  aov 
Tov  vioi'').  Then,  the  use  of  the  third  person  in 
the  opening  words  has  also  its  intention.  One 
who  speaks  in  this  abstract  form,  describing  him- 
self, as  it  were,  ab  extra,  is  basing  his  requests,  not 
on  personal  desire,  but  on  the  relation  itself,  and 
on  the  right  or  fitness  of  the  case. 

"  Glorify  thy  Son."  In  what  does  this  glorify- 
ing consist?  Many  explanations  have  been  offered, 
many  of  them  very  partial  and  inadequate,  yet 
all  of  them  comprehended  in  this  vast  and  limit- 
less word.  But  it  is  a  glorif3dng  for  which  the 
hour  is  come,  and  in  that  respect  has  been  con- 
sidered already  in  connexion  with  the  first  "pre- 
liminary saying."  There  it  was  spoken  as  virtually 
effected  (^vvv  iSo^dcrdi],  see  p.  91)  because  its  con- 
ditions were  then  accepted  and  commenced.  Here 
it  is  asked  for  as  a  thing  to  be,  the  results  of  those 
conditions  being  concentrated  in  a  single  word. 
Those  results  include  the  acceptance  of  the  sacri- 
fice, the  atonement  made  and  redemption  achieved, 
the  reversal  of  death  and  overthrow  of  Satan,  and 
all  the  history  to  follow,  —  resurrection,  ascension, 
session  at  the  right  hand,  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  the  mediatorial   reign,  the  coming  in  the 


342  THE   PRAYER 


kingdom.  All  are  the  gifts  of  the  Father,  by 
which  He  glorifies  the  Son.  They  are  desired 
for  the  further  end,  "  that  the  Son  may  glorify 
thee."  For  it  is  the  will,  the  work,  the  wisdom, 
righteousness,  and  love  of  the  Father,  which, 
through  this  divine  economy,  are  to  be  manifested 
in  heaven  and  in  earth. 

It  is  an  economy  for  human  salvation,  and  to 
the  main  line  of  that  salvation  the  thousrhts  at 
present  are  confined.  "  According  as  thou  gavest 
him  authority  over  all  flesh,  that  whatsoever  thou 
hast  given  him,  to  them  he  should  give  eternal 
life."  In  these  condensed  expressions  one  work 
appears  as  the  central  object  and  final  purpose  of 
the  larger  powers ;  as  if  a  vast  province  Avere 
assigned  in  order  that  the  City  of  God  might  be 
formed  in  the  midst  of  it.  We  see  entire  humanity  ^ 
made  subject  to  the  sovereign  administration  of 
.  the  incarnate  Son  as  head  of  the  race  whose  nature 
He  has  taken ;  and  the  bestowal  of  this  authority 
is  elsewhere  spoken  of  as  the  reversal  of  a  great 
usurpation,  that  of  "the  Ruler  of  this  world."  To 
men  as  such,  great  results  must  follow  from  this 
universal  relation  to  the  incarnate  Son ;  but  these 
are  not  the  subject  here. 

1  The  phrase  is  the  rendering  of  the  Hebrew  phrase,  "it^S  h^, 
which  describes  mankind  in  their  weakness  and  transitoriness 
as  contrasted  with  the  majesty  of  God  ;  and  from  that  side  of 
their  nature  in  which  they  are  akin  to  and  represent  the  lower 
workl  (numerous  references  appended). —  Westcotx's  note 
in  loc. 


II  FOR   HIS   WORK   AND   GLORY  343 

Within  this  giving  of  authorit}^,  and  as  the 
highest  consequence  of  it,  there  is  a  further  giving 
by  the  Father ;  one,  not  merely  into  right  and 
rule,  but  into  appropriation  and  possession.  That 
wliich  is  thus  given  is  expressed  (not  as  may 
appear  in  the  English  in  the  personal  and  the 
plural,  but)  in  the  neuter  and  the  singular,  "  all 
that  which  thou  hast  given  him  "  (irav  o  hehwKa<i 
avTcp).  This  peculiar  wording  had  been  used  at 
another  time,^  for  expression  of  the  same  divine 
act ;  and  in  both  places  it  has  the  effect  of  repre- 
senting this  giving  by  the  Father  to  the  Son,  as 
not  distributive  but  collective  (to  use  the  logical 
terms)  ;  one  in  which  men  are  regarded,  not  in 
their  separate  individuality,  but  in  some  common 
aspect,  corresponding  to  that  collective  character 
in  which  they  are  seen  at  last,  and  to  which  (again 
using  the  neuter  and  the  singular)  the  Prayer 
returns  (v.  23,  24,  (W  coaiv  ev  o  SeSw/ca?  /ao<). 

So  is  it  spoken  concerning  the  giving  of  men  by 
the  Father  to  the  Son ;  but  in  the  third  act  of 
giving,  namely,  that  of  eternal  life  by  the  Son  to 
men,  this  collective  language  disappears,  being 
resolved  into  the  plural  and  the  personal,  "  That 
to  them  (^auTol<;')  he  should  give  eternal  life."  It 
is  impossible  to  overlook  this  discriminating  pre- 
cision of  language,  corrective  of  some  tendencies 

^  See  vi.  27  :  irdv  o  d^doocn  fxoi  6  llari^p  irpos  i/xi  rj^ei,  All  that 
which  the  Father  hath  ffiveu  uie  shall  come  to  uie. 


344  THE   PRAYER 


of  thought,  suggestive,  also,  of  others ;  but  touch- 
ing on  mysteries  in  regard  to  whicli  exposition, 
once  prompt  and  eager,  is  now  more  diffident  and 
reserved. 

Whatever  indefiniteness  is  cast  over  tlie  previous 
act  of  God,  none  rests  upon  the  ultimate  act  of 
Christ.  It  is  shewn  (1)  as  the  crowning  preroga- 
tive of  his  larger  sovereignty,  (2)  as  made  to 
individual  men,  and  (3)  as  consisting  in  eternal 
life.  This  liad  ever  been  the  great  announcement. 
"  I  am  come  that  they  might  liave  life."  "  I  give 
unto  them  eternal  life  "  (x.  27)  ;  and  so  again  and 
again  throughout  the  ministry.  This  is  the  gift 
celebrated  afterwards  in  frequent  repetitions  of 
joy  and  praise.  "  The  gift  of  God  is  eternal  life 
through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord"  (Rom.  vi.  23). 
"  This  is  the  record,  that  God  has  given  us  eternal 
life,  and  this  life  is  in  his  Son"  (1  John  v.  11). 
Life  it  is,  as  distinguished  from  mere  existence ; 
life  in  its  fullest  sense  of  consciousness  and  affec- 
tions, capacities,  and  activities ;  eternal  (^alroviof^, 
as  belonging  not  to  this  age  and  world,  but  to  the 
age  of  ages,  and  another  Avorld  than  this. 

Yet  in  this  world  it  is  given  ;  and  in  the  pres- 
ent state  it  must  begin  ;  for  that  is  involved  in  the 
words  which  follow,  "And  this  is  the  eternal  life, 
that  they  may  know  thee,  the  only  true  God,  and 
him  whom  thou  didst  send  —  Jesus  Christ." 

This  is  a  fundamental  word  indeed ;  a  summary 


II  FOR   Ills    WORK   AND    GLORY  345 

and  certificate  of  Chriytianity.  But  the  expression 
is  peculiar  and  beyond  expectation  ;  and  is  felt  to 
be  so  great  a  difficulty  as  to  oblige  us  to  advert  to 
the  question  as  to  its  real  source.  Are  these  the 
words  of  Him  who  prays,  or  of  him  who  reports  the 
prayer  ? 

It  has  not  been  within  the  present  purpose  to 
notice  the  conclusions  of  critics  who  consider  them- 
selves at  liberty  to  refer  all  expressions  in  these 
records  to  the  one  source  or  the  other,  as  suits  tlieir 
own  views.  Such  critics  naturally  think,  not  only 
that  these  words  are  those  of  the  writer,  whoever 
he  was,  but  also  that  in  this  instance  he  has  failed 
in  the  usual  artistic  snccess  of  his  representation. 
"He  has  been  guilty  (jf  an  inadvertence."  "He 
has  made  a  slip,"  and  "  has  offended  against  his- 
torical propriety."  But  the  difficulty  seems  also 
very  serious  to  some  of  our  own  commentators, 
who  deal  with  these  Scriptures  in  a  very  different 
spirit.  It  is  strange  to  them  that  the  Lord  should 
thus  speak  of  Himself,  and  especially  that  He 
should  use  the  comi)Ound  name  of  Jesus  Christ, 
"which  afterwards  came  into  use."  It  is  plain, 
however,  that  this  name  cannot  be  excepted  from 
the  whole  verse,  on  account  of  the  balance  and  cor- 
respondence of  the  two  clauses. 

Says  Bishop  Westcott, 

"We  have  to  consider  whether  the  definitions  are  to  be 
treated  as  literally  parts  of  the  prayer,  or  as  words  used  by 


346  THE   PRAYER 


the  Evangelist  in  his  record  of  the  praj'er,  as  best  fitted,  in 
this  connexion,  to  convey  the  full  meaning  of  the  original 
language." 

He  thinks  that 

"the  use  of  the  name  at  this  time  by  the  Lord  Himself,  is  in 
the  highest  degree  unlikely,  while  the  compound  title,  express- 
ing, as  it  does,  the  two  ideas  of  true  humanity  and  divine 
office,  may  reasonably  be  supposed  to  give  the  exact  sense  of 
the  Lord's  thought.  .  .  .  The  clauses,  while  perfectly  nat- 
ural as  explanations,  are  most  strange  if  they  are  taken  as 
substantial  parts  of  the  prayer.  It  is  no  derogation  from  the 
truthfulness  of  the  record  that  St.  John  has  thus  given,  par- 
enthetically and  in  conventional  language  (so  to  speak),  the 
substance  of  what  the  Lord  said,  probably  at  greater  length  " 
(Note  on  v.  3). 

In  like  manner,  Dr.  Plummer,  regarding  in  the 
same  light  the  use  of  the  name  "  which  afterwards 
came  into  use,"  concludes  that  "  the  wording  here 
is  the  Evangelist's,  perhaps  abbreviated  from  the 
actual  words."  Other  commentators  have  written 
in  the  same  sense. 

1.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  obvious  to  remark 
that  the  words,  being  as  directly  addressed  to  God, 
as  all  the  other  words  are,  do  not  at  all  lend  them- 
selves to  a  supposition  of  being  an  explanation  in 
parenthetical  and  conventional  language. 

2.  The  argument,  from  a  thing  being  unlikely 
and  strange,  consists  in  a  comparison  with  what  we 
should  expect,  and  must  be  weighed  against  an  ar- 
o-ument  of  like  kind  on  the  other  side.    "•  It  is  in  the 


II  FOR   HIS   WORK   AND   GLORY  347 

liighest  degree  unlikely  "  that  St.  John,  purporting 
to  give  tlie  Lord's  words,  at  a  final  and  solemn  mo- 
ment addressed  to  his  Father  in  presence  of  his 
disciples,  should  diverge  from  that  method  by  alter- 
ing expressions  fundamental  to  Christian  faith,  and 
presenting  them  in  a  form  of  his  own,  accordant 
with  his  later  habit  of  thought.  To  most  minds 
the  latter  unlikelihood  will  surely  seem  much 
greater  than  the  former. 

3.  In  regard  to  the  strangeness  of  the  expres- 
sion in  relation  to  our  Lord's  usual  language,  it  is 
certain  that,  if  it  seem  strange  to  us,  it  must  have 
been  still  more  so  to  St.  John,  from  whom  we  de- 
rive our  knowledge  of  the  Lord's  manner  of  speech, 
and  who  knew,  in  his  own  experience,  when  the 
compound  title  came  into  use. 

4.  But  the  argument  from  unlikeliness  and 
strangeness  loses  most  of  its  value,  when  the  oc- 
casion is  seen  to  be  altogether  exceptional :  for 
then  an  act  or  word,  not  found  elsewhere,  may  be 
seen  as  simpl}^  natural  to  the  situation.  I  adopt 
the  Avords  of  Stier  (vi.  441)  :  — 

"  This  is  indeed  the  only  time  that  the  Lord  Himself 
unites  thus  simply  and  immediately  the  two  names,  that  of 
his  person  and  that  of  his  office  —  but  the  occasion  stands 
alone.  He  presents  Himself  in  the  presence  of  his  listening 
disciples,  before  the  Father  in  the  most  sublime  self-testi- 
mony; uttering  that  designation  of  Himself,  which  was 
thereby  sanctified,  instituted,  and  ordained  for  all  future  tes- 
timony to  liis  person.     We  may  say  that  the  apostolical  cus- 


348  THE   PRAYER 


torn  of  using  Jesus  Christ  as  one  double  appellative,  making 
XpKTTo'i  also  a  proper  name,  liad  its  origin  in  this  word  of 
our  Lord.  Speak  of  Him  as  He  spoke  of  Himself  before 
God  —  this  was  the  Spirit's  suggestion  to  their  minds." 

5.  It  accords  with  this  hist  idea  that  "  the  hxter 
custom,"  here  anticipated,  does,  in  fact,  date  from 
the  first  moment  that  the  Gospel  was  preached  ;  and 
that  the  Apostles,  as  soon  as  they  opened  their  lips, 
used  the  compound  name  as  the  sum  of  their  tes- 
timony and  their  watchword  to  the  world.  "  Be 
baptized,"  they  said,  "  everyone  of  you,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remission  of  your 
sins"  (Act  ii.  48).  "In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Nazareth,  rise  up  and  walk  "  (iii.  6  and  iii.  20, 
iv.  10,  etc.).'  We  have  no  question  to  ask  about 
this  immediate  and  commanding  use  of  the  adopted 
name,  if  they  had  heard  it  from  the  Lord's  own  lips 
as  that  under  which  it  was  his  will  to  be  testified 
and  known. 

I  now  turn  from  this  question  (and  with  an  en- 
tirely satisfied  mind  concerning  it)  to  contemplate 
for  a  moment  this  strong  foundation  word  of  our 
faith.  It  is  as  if  one  came  suddenly  in  front  of 
some  great  monument,  bearing,  in  letters  carved 
by  him  whom  it  commemorates,  tlie  original  in- 
scription to  which  all  after  history  must  refer. 

It  contains  a  creed  distinct  and  comprehensive ; 
but  it  is  much  more  than  a  creed.  It  speaks  of  a 
knowledge,  and  a  knowledge  which  is  life  eternal. 


II  FOR   HIS   WORK   AND   GLORY  349 

The  word  for  "  know ''  represents  a  knowledge 
learned  or  acquired,  and  the  tense  implies  that  it 
is  both  present  and  progressive.  Plainly  this 
knowledge,  which  is  life,  is  not  merely  one  of  in- 
formation or  assent,  nor  one  of  man's  intellect 
only,  bat  of  "  all  tliat  is  within  him."  It  is  a 
knowledge  of  persons,  not  merely  of  truths  con- 
cerning them;  and  even  in  common  speech,  to 
know  a  person,  as  distinguished  from  knowing 
things  about  him,  implies  some  intercourse  and 
contact  of  minds.  Above  all,  must  this  be  so  in 
knowing  God,  which  indeed  cannot  be  without  an 
inwaid  union  and  assimilation ;  as  Irenceus  puts  it, 
"  The  possession  of  life  arises  from  the  sharing  in 
God ;  and  sharing  in  God  is  knowing  God,  and 
partaking  in  his  goodness."  ^ 

The  knowing  here  is  twofold,  and  corresponds 
with  the  twofold  believing  enjoined  in  the  first 
word  of  discourse,  "  Believe  in  God ;  believe  also 
in  me." 

God  is  to  be  known  as  the  true  God  (dXT/^ti/o?) ; 
true  "in  the  absolutely  real  meaning  of  that  in- 
comprehensible name "  (Stier),  and  as  the  onli/ 
true  God,  else  not  God  at  all,  intimating  a  con- 
sciousness of  the  polytheistic  dreams,  the  sem- 
blances, and  imaginings  (ei'StoXa)  of  men.  It  is 
the  creed  of  the  old  covenant,  continued  and 
exalted.     "  Hear,  O  Israel ;   the  Lord  our  God  is 

1  Cited  by  Luthardt,  v.  iii.  p.  194. 


350  THE   PRAYER 


one  Lord."  All  Israel  held  the  creed,  but  all  Israel 
did  not  know  God.  "  Ye  say  that  he  is  your  God, 
yet  ye  have  not  known  him  "  (viii.  55):  and  it  is 
the  knowing  which  is  life  eternal. 

For  the  creed  and  life  of  the  new  testament 
there  is  the  distinctive  addition,  "  And  him  whom 
thou  has  sent  —  Jesus  Christ."  It  is  more  than 
an  addition,  —  being  the  appointed  means  to  the 
knowledge  of  God,  and  a  vast  enlargement  of  it. 
That  lies  in  the  words  "  whom  thou  hast  sent." 
He  was  sent  "  to  bring  us  to  God,"  that  those  who 
would  not  have  known  God  might  come  to  know 
Him,  and  that  those  who  would  have  known  Him 
faintly  might  know  Him  fully.  It  is  the  mission 
of  the  Son  from  the  Father  which  makes  the  know- 
ledge of  Him  who  is  sent  one  with  the  knowledge 
of  Him  that  sent  Him.  The  divine  formula,  thus 
given  to  the  Church,  has  been  ever  answered  by  an 
unchanging  confession  —  as  we  answer  still  in 
the  two  first  sentences  of  the  Apostles'  Creed. 
"Though  there  be,"  says  St.  Paul,  "that  are  called 
gods,  whether  in  heaven  or  on  earth ;  as  there  are 
gods  many,  and  lords  many  ;  yet  to  us  there  is  one 
God,  the  Father,  of  whom  are  all  things ;  and  we 
unto  him,  and  one  Lord,  Jesus  Christ,  through 
whom  are  all  things  and  Ave  through  him  "  (1  Cor-, 
viii.  5,  6).  In  every  connexion  of  thought  and  in 
every  variety  of  expression,  the  ai)ostolic  writers 
weave  into  one  fabric,  like  warp  and  woof,  "  the 


FOR    HIS    WORK   AND    GLORY  351 


knowledge  of  God  and  of  Jesus  our  Lord."  And 
in  words,  which  are  probably  the  last  written  in 
the  New  Testament,  our  Evangelist  winds  up  their 
common  witness  and  experience  :  "  We  know  that 
the  Son  of  God  is  come,  and  hath  given  us  an  un- 
derstanding, that  we  know  him  that  is  true,  and 
we  are  in  him  that  is  true,  even  in  his  Son  Jesus 
Christ.  This  is  the  true  God  and  eternal  life" 
(1  John  V.  29). 

Men  who  do  not  accept  the  Gospel  of  Christ, 
or  who  go  about  to  construct  a  gospel  of  their 
own,  are  ever  seeking  to  put  asunder  what  God 
has  joined  together;  but  they  cannot  know  the 
Father  without  knowing  the  Son,  or  the  true  God 
apart  from  Him  whom  He  has  sent  to  reveal  Him, 
or  have  the  eternal  life  while  separate  from  Him 
who  is  anointed  of  God  to  be  to  us  its  author  and 
giver. 

'«0  Almighty  God,  whom  truly  to  know  is  everlasting 
life,  grant  us  perfectly  to  know  thy  Son  Jesus  Christ,  to  be 
the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life ;  that,  following  the  steps  of 
thy  holy  Apostles,  we  may  steadfastly  walk  in  the  way  wliich 
leadeth  to  eternal  life;  through  the  same  thy  Son  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord.     Amen." 


352  THE    PRAYER 


Section  2 
V.  4,  5 

The  words  "whom  thou  didst  send"  lead  on 
to  those  which  follow.  That  mission  reaches  its 
end;  its  last  moments  are  come.  The  account  of 
it  is  to  be  given  in,  and  its  reward  to  be  attained. 
A  single  sentence  serves  for  each. 

"  I  glorified  thee  on  the  earth,  having  finished  the  work 
which  thou  gavest  ine  to  do. 

"And  now,  O  Father,  glorify  thou  me  with  thine  own 
self,  with  the  glory  which  I  had  with  thee  before  the  world 
was  "  (4). 

Here  the  form  of  expression  changes.  Before, 
it  was  "  thy  Son "  ;  now,  it  is  "  I."  The  third 
person  liad  been  suitable  in  the  review  of  a  great 
scheme  of  things ;  one  comprising  a  universal 
authority  conferred,  a  definite  purpose  within  it, 
and  a  transcendent  gift  bestowed.  The  transition 
from  agency  in  this  scheme  of  things  to  personal 
action  and  desire  is  marked  by  the  direct  use  of 
the  first  pei-son,  which  continues  through  the  rest 
of  the  Prayer. 

Brief  is  the   account  of  the  fulfilment  of   the- 
mission.     The  adoption  of  the  participial  reading 
(re\eiU)aa<i  instead  of  ereXt/wcra)  has  shaped  two 
sentences  into  one.     But  it  is  not  more  brief  than 


II  FOR    HIS   WORK   AND    GLORY  353 

full.  How  could  it  be  more  full  than  it  is  with 
gioiy  given  and  work  completed? 

"  I  glorified  thee  on  the  earth,"  —  on  the  earth, 
as  for  me  a  place  of  sojourning  and  an  adopted 
field  of  action,  —  on  the  earth,  as  a  scene  where 
that  glory  was  withheld,  a  province  in  the  universe 
of  God,  where  a  revolted  race  had  done  dishonour 
to  his  name.  "  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest " 
sounded  from  heaven  when  Jesus  was  born  into 
the  world;  and  now  that  He  will  leave  it,  glory 
has  been  rendered  upon  earth.  It  has  been  ren- 
dered by  the  perfect  devotion  of  a  holy  human  life, 
by  word  and  deed,  by  character  and  by  service.  It 
has  been  rendered  by  accomplishment  of  the  work 
which  was  given  to  be  done.  Many  works  are 
finished,  by  coming  to  an  end,  though  partial  and 
imperfect.  Not  so  this.  The  word  employed 
means,  not  merely  ended,  but  achieved  and  per- 
fected. This  accomplishment  is  spoken  of  in  the 
historic  tense ;  for  it  now  lies  in  the  past,  and  the 
act  of  consummation  is  reached.  But  perhaps  we 
may  observe  that  from  the  work  on  the  earth  (eVt 
Tt]<i  Y)}?)  the  final  act  is  distinguished,  as  a  being 
"lifted  up  out  of  the  earth"  (e'/c  t?'}9  yv?),  and  so 
part  of  the  process  of  departure. 

The  account  of  life  on  earth,  here  given  at  the 
end  of  it,  is  the  same  which,  in  the  course  of  it, 
was  often  testified  in  words,  as  well  as  always 
illustrated  by  facts.     "  My  meat  is  to  do  the  will 


354  THE   PKAYER 


of  him  that  sent  me,  and  to  accomplish  his  work  " 
(iv.  34).  "  He  that  speaketh  from  himself  seeketh 
his  own  glory ;  but  he  that  seeketh  the  glory  of 
him  that  sent  him,  the  same  is  true "  (vii.  18). 
Such  words  were  frequent,  and  they  set  forth  the 
aim  and  business  of  human  life.  It  is  true  that 
the  instance  is  solitary  and  unapproached.  The 
glory  given  to  God  was  such  in  measure  as  He 
only  could  render ;  the  work  assigned  Him  to  do 
was  his  alone.  To  Him  it  belonged  to  offer  a  per- 
fect life,  to  declare  his  Father's  name,  to  save  the 
lost,  and  found  the  Church.  But  He  so  speaks 
as  to  make  this  life  and  work  of  his  the  great 
example  of  the  common  duty;  and  his  servants, 
desiring  to  "walk  in  this  world  as  he  walked," 
have  recognised  the  standard  set  them,  and  have 
seen  that  the  true  ambition  for  man  is  to  glorify 
God  on  the  earth,  and  accomplish  the  work  which 
He  gives  them  to  do.  In  proportion  as  this  is 
done,  even  in  the  most  narrow  scene  of  action  and 
the  most  obscure  employment,  there  is  the  true 
success  in  life,  and  the  career  that  has  no  failure. 
Great  is  the  satisfaction  and  rest  of  mind  attend- 
ant on  the  thought  of  "  the  work  which  thou  hast 
given  me  to  do."  It  gives  a  principle  of  easy 
application,  and  corrects  vain  wanderings  of  imag-' 
ination,  and  ennobles  the  work  we  do.  We  fancy 
we  should  be  happier  if  left  to  choose  and  offer 
what  we  pleased.     But  if  we  take  our  work  as 


II  FOR   HIS   WORK   AND   GLORY  355 

given  us  to  do,  and  if  we  do  it  to  the  Lord,  then 
it  takes  rank  with  the  service  of  Christ  Himself. 
Many  a  follower  of  Jesus  in  undesired  position 
and  unwelcome  duty  has  glorified  God  upon  the 
earth  after  that  great  example,  by  contented 
acceptance  of  the  Father's  will,  and  a  loyal  and 
loving  fulfilment  of  it.  So  we  take  up  for  our 
own  use  the  words  in  which  the  Lord  has  compre- 
hended the  history  of  his  own  earthly  life. 

Of  these  words  we  can  speak  without  misgiving, 
for  they  are  within  the  sphere  of  our  own  experi- 
ence, that  of  human  life  on  earth.  But  who  can 
treat  of  those  which  follow,  in  which  the  conse- 
quences of  the  mission  to  men  are  claimed  in  the 
world  of  glory,  and  the  human  consciousness 
breaks  into  the  divine  ? 

"  And  now,  O  Father,  glorify  thou  me  with  thine  own 
self,  with  the  glory  which  I  had  with  thee  before  the  world 
was  "  (5). 

Thus,  in  serene  tones  of  a  perfect  knowledge, 
does  Jesus,  while  in  the  flesh  and  on  the  earth, 
reveal  the  divine  consciousness  which  He  bears 
within  Him.  We  stand  by  with  the  amazed  dis- 
ciples, and  note  the  three  stages  of  ascent  which 
in  succession  carry  on  the  mind  into  regions  of 
thought  in  which  thought  itself  is  lost.  In  "  Glo- 
rify thou  me,"  we  hear  of  the  bestowal  of  some 
exalted  honours,  and  investiture  with  unexplained 


356  THE    PRAYER 


majesty.  The  next  word,  "  With  thine  own  self," 
raises  these  conceptions  to  an  incalculable  eleva- 
tion above  all  lower  levels  in  heavenly  places  into 
fellowship  with  the  Father  and  the  bosom  of  God. 
The  last  word,  "  With  the  glory  which  I  had  with 
thee  before  the  world  was,"  throws  back  the  pos- 
session of  this  glory  and  fellowship  not  only  into 
a  pre-existent  state,  but  into  an  absolutely  limitless 
eternity.  In  presence  of  such  words,  addressed  by 
the  Son  to  the  Father,  there  is  a  call,  not  so  much 
to  study  and  exposition  as  to  adoration  and  faith. 

Yet  even  here  we  might  diverge  into  contro- 
versy, did  we  feel  any  just  reason  to  do  so ;  for 
however  firmly  the  lines  of  truth  are  drawn,  the 
ingenuity  of  heresy  will  seek  some  outlet  of 
escape. 1  But  Arian  endeavours  to  make  these 
and  other  like  sayings  comport  with  the  bounded 
existence  of  a  created  being,  and,  still  more, 
Socinian  attempts  to  interpret  them  of  a  purely 
ideal  existence  in  the  predetermination  of  God, 
are  so  desperate  on  the  face  of  them,  that  they 
demand  no  notice  here.  They  are  amply  dealt 
with  in  the  many  works  which  argue  the  question 
of  the  divinity  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour. 

We  hear  Him  speaking  in  full  consciousness  of 
being  the  same  before  the  world  was  and  now,  and 

1  "  Claras  ct  disertus  textus  dc  iliviiiitatc  Christi  contra 
AriauDs,  quaiKiuam  et  hie  foramen  seu  rimam  invenerint  qua 
elabcrcntur."  — Luther,  in  loc. 


n  FOR    HIS    WORK   AND   GLORY  857 

of  a  glory  which  He  had  as  his  own  in  the  eternal 
fellowship  with  God.  It  is  asked  for  now  from 
the  hninan  standpoint,  with  its  voluntary  emptying 
and  humbling  of  self,  the  time  for  which  now 
comes  to  its  end,  and  which  is  to  be  succeeded  by 
that  glory  of  essential  Godhead  refulgent  in  his 
person  as  Mediator.,  and  investing  with  its  com- 
municated perfections  the  manhood  wliich  He  has 
taken  into  God.^ 

Who  can  tell  what  were  the  impressions  on  the 
minds  of  the  disciples,  while  they  listened  to  this 
voice  of  sublime  self -revelation !  But  we  know 
that  the  truths,  received  throughout  this  evening 
with  poor  intelligence,  sunk  and  settled  and 
wrought  in  their  hearts,  under  the  teaching  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  who  took  these  things  of  Christ,  and 
shewed  them  to  them;  and  how,  through  their 
testimony,  these  truths  became  the  common  faith 
of  the  Christian  society,  as  is  shewn  by  the  manner 
in  which  they  are  not  only  distinctly  taught,  but 
presupposed  and  appealed  to,  in  the  canonical 
Epistles.     So  the  consciousness  of  Jesus  concern- 

1  Luthardt's  comments  arc  brief  and  to  the  point.  "He 
desires  again  the  glory  which  He  had  ;  only  He  desires  it  now 
as  incarnate  man.  He  says,  '  I  had,'  not,  '  I  received  '  "  (Ben- 
gel)  .  '  Before  the  world  was  ' :  it  is  thus  unconditioned  by 
anything  except  God,  and  so  stands  outside  of  time.  By  this 
phrase,  the  age  of  time  is  shariily  separated  from  the  eternity 
that  lies  at  its  foundation.  '  With  thee,'  He  says,  because  He 
was  the  Son  personally  distinguished  frona  the  Father,  as  0f6s 
irpos  Toy  ee6v,  God  with  God"  (VIII.  p.  199). 


858  THE   PRAYER 


ing  Himself  became  the  consciousness  of  the 
Church  concerning  Him ;  ^  and  its  voice  sounds 
on  from  age  to  age  in  unchanging  confession  and 
exalted  praise. 

1  On  these  two  subjects,  see  Liddon's  Bampton  Lectures, 
Lecture  IV.,  "Our  Lord's  Divinity  as  witnessed  by  his  Con- 
sciousness," and  VL,  "Our  Lord's  Divinity  as  taught  by  St. 
James,  St.  Peter,  and  St.  Paul." 


FOR    THE    DISCirLES  359 


CHAPTER   III 

FOR   THE   DISCIPLES 

Section  1 
V.  0-10 

In  few  words  has  Jesus  spoken  of  Himself,  in 
respect  of  the  divine  economy  which  He  admin- 
isters, of  his  action  in  it,  and  his  translation  into 
glory.  To  this  history  that  of  the  disciples  is 
attached.  They  have  their  own  special  part  under 
that  economy,  as  being  the  first  believers,  and  the 
chosen  agents  through  whom  the  knowledge  and 
the  power  of  it  are  to  be  conveyed  to  mankind. 
Therefore,  in  the  words  already  spoken,  has  been 
laid  the  ground  of  intercession  for  them.  That 
intercession  is  the  main  purpose  of  the  prayer,  and 
the  main  reason  why  they  should  hear  it.  It  is 
made  for  them  personally,  with  the  most  tender 
concern  for  the  needs  of  their  situation,  but,  at  the 
same  time,  for  them  officially  and  representatively 
in  view  of  their  future  work  and  its  final  conse- 
quences. The  brief  sentences  of  prayer  for  Self 
now  pass  into  more  effusive  language  in  prayer  for 


360  THE    PRAYER 


them.  If  in  awestruck  wonder  they  had  listened 
to  those  former  words,  it  woukl  be  with  another 
kind  of  interest  that  they  woukl  hear  their  own 
position  recognised  and  their  own  cause  pleaded 
with  God.  It  is  in  the  recognition  of  their  actual 
relations  to  his  Word,  to  Himself,  and  to  his  Father, 
that  the  Lord  gives  the  reasons  for  the  fitness  of 
his  requests  in  their  behalf. 

"  I  manifested  thy  name  unto  the  men  whom  thou  gavest 
me  out  of  the  world  :  thine  they  were,  and  thou  gavest  them 
to  me ;  and  they  have  kept  thy  word. 

"Now  they  know  that  all  things  whatsoever  thou  hast 
given  nie  are  from  thee :  for  the  words  which  thou  gavest  me 
I  have  given  unto  them ;  and  they  received  them,  and  knew 
of  a  truth  that  I  came  forth  from  thee,  and  they  believed  that 
thou  didst  send  nie.  I  pray  for  them :  I  pray  not  for  the 
world,  but  for  those  whom  thou  hast  given  me ;  for  they  are 
thine :  and  all  things  that  are  nana  are  thine,  and  thine  are 
mine:  and  I  am  glorified  in  them  "  (0-10). 

Is  tlie  little  company  there  present  and  thus  ap- 
proved all  the  actual  fruit  which  has  been  gath- 
ered in  that  work  upon  the  earth  which  has  now 
reached  its  end  ?  No  !  not  all ;  yet  the  best  and 
representative  part  of  it.  It  seems  a  dispropor- 
tionate result ;  yet  will  it  serve  its  purpose  in  the 
future,  as  the  gathering  converts  and  the  rising 
Church  and  the  Christian  centuries  will  shew. 
These  few  men  arc  to  ])c  left ;  and  now  they  may 
be  left,  for  their  minds  are  possessed  with  ideas 


FOR   THE   DISCIPLES  361 


rooted  and  livino-  within  them.  How  great  is 
the  capacity  of  ideas  for  expansion,  propagation, 
IDerpetuation !  Above  all,  when  those  ideas  are 
thoughts  of  God,  communicated  by  the  Word  in- 
carnate, in  fulfilment  of  his  mission  from  the 
Father,  to  men  elected  to  receive  them. 

They  are.  He  says,  "  the  men  whom  thou  gavest 
me  out  of  the  world,"  the  alienated,  unreceptive 
world :  "  Thine  they  were,  and  to  me  thou  gavest 
them."  "  Thine,"  we  understand,  not  as  all  men 
are  thine,  nor  as  all  Israel  are  thine,  but  by  a  per- 
sonal and  distinguishing  relation,  one  not  only  con- 
sidered as  foreknown,  but  asserted  as  actual.  It  is 
the  relation  of  which  it  is  written,  "  The  Lord  hath 
set  apart  him  that  is  godly  for  himself."  It  is  the 
relation  of  "Israelites  indeed,"  as  (in  regard  to 
one  of  them)  the  Lord  expressed  it.  Of  these  He 
now  says,  "  To  me  thou  gavest  them,"  as  being  not 
merely  assigned  to  Him  in  the  divine  intention, 
but  delivered  into  his  teaching  and  care  by  that  in- 
ward operation  of  God,  concerning  which  He  said, 
"  No  man  can  come  to  me  except  the  Father,  which 
sent  me,  draw  him  "  (vi.  44).  It  does  not  appear 
that  the  Lord  Jesus,  in  the  flesh,  wrought  on  men's 
hearts  by  that  secret  operation  which  we  call  effec- 
tual grace.  Such  action  is  ascribed  by  Him  not  to 
Himself,  but  to  the  Father.  We  may  say  that  from 
Him  in  those  days,  there  passed  into  the  souls  of 
men  the  power  not  of  the  Spirit,  but  of  the  Word. 


3G2  THE   PRAYER 


What  He  did  for  them  He  explains,  "I  mani- 
fested thy  name  to  tlie  men  which  thou  gavest 
me "  —  "I  have  given  to  them  the  words  which 
thou  gavest  me."  The  "  name  "  intends  whatso- 
ever may  be  expressed  or  known  of  God.  So  the 
phrase  is  used  throughout  the  course  of  revelation ; 
from  tlie  day  when  Israel,  receiving  the  first  mes- 
sage from  God,  asked,  in  conscious  ignorance, 
"  What  is  his  name  ? "  The  answer,  advancing 
through  the  intervening  ages,  came  with  a  new 
fulness  and  clearness  in  the  Word  of  Christ.  "  No 
man  hath  seen  God  at  any  time  ;  the  only-begotten 
Son,  which  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  he  hath 
declared  him  "  (i.  18).  This  revelation  of  God  in 
his  fatherhood  and  love,  his  mind  and  will,  had 
constituted  the  "word  "  which  the  disciples  are  said 
to  have  "kept."  But  there  had  been  more  than 
this.  The  Word,  as  a  whole,  in  its  general  scope 
(Xo'yo?),  has  been  made  definite  by  "words" 
{p)]/jLara),  various  and  distinct  communications. 
Often  in  the  Greek  are  these  terms  distinguished 
from  each  other,  but  seldom  can  they  be  so  in  the 
English.  The  Revised  Version  in  some  places 
renders  the  second  by  "  sayings,"  but  cannot  fitly 
do  so  in  an  announcement  so  weighty  as  this, 
"  The  words  which  thou  gavest  me  I  have  given- 
them."  It  u  a  statement  fundamental  to  the 
faith.  We  see  Jesus  standing  between  God  and 
man,  as    Mediator  of  the   truth,  in  the  spirit  re- 


Ill  FOR   THE   DISCIPLES  S6^ 

ceiving  the  words  from  God,  which  in  the  flesh 
He  delivers  to  men.  As  afterwards,  in  apocalyptic 
vision,  it  was  "  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ, 
which  God  gave  unto  him,  to  shew  unto  his  ser- 
vants," so  it  was  with  the  human  words  on  earth, 
only  they  are  given  in  another  tone  and  for  a 
different  end.  It  Avas  a  course  of  divine  instruc- 
tion, spoken  and  acted,  under  which,  during  the 
past  years,  these  disciples  had  lived. 

For  them  it  has  not  been  vain.  The  result  is 
recognised  and  affirmed.  Of  the  manifestation  of 
the  name  it  is  said,  "  They  have  kept  thy  word." 
If  others  let  it  pass,  they  understood  and  retained 
it.  "  They  on  the  good  ground  are  they  which  in 
an  honest  and  good  heart,  having  heard  the  word, 
keep  it."  Of  "  the  words  which  thou  gavest  me, 
and  which  I  have  given  them,"  it  is  said  that 
"  they  received  them  "  ;  and  the  consequences  of 
that  reception  are  defined,  "  Now  they  know  that 
all  things  whatsoever  thou  hast  given  me  are  from 
thee  " ;  and  what  they  knew  of  the  things,  they 
knew  of  the  Person ;  "  they  knew  of  a  truth  that 
I  came  forth  from  thee ;  and  they  believed  that 
thou  didst  send  me."  The  close  of  the  Discourse 
had  given  the  same  result,  in  the  last  testimony 
of  Jesus  and  in  the  responsive  confession  of  the 
disciples,  — "  Now  we  believe  that  thou  camest 
forth  from  God."  There  had  been  cause  to  ques- 
tion the  practical  power  of  that  faith,  but  not  tlie 


364  THE   PRAYER 


reality  of  it.  That  had  been  recognised,  and  is 
now  affirmed,  by  Him  who  knew  their  hearts. 
He  shews  the  truth  of  the  case,  and  the  limit  of  it ; 
so  far  they  have  gone,  if  no  further.  And  this  at- 
tainment is  decisive.  Once  possessed  Avith  a  settled 
conviction  of  their  Lord's  mission  from  the  Father, 
and  of  an  immediate  derivation  from  God  in  all  his 
words  and  works,  they  have  reached  a  level  of  faith, 
which  is  raised  above  the  perplexities,  vacillations, 
and  perils  of  an  earlier  stage,  and  which  gives  firm 
vantage-ground  for  the  advance  which  lias  yet  to  be 
made.  Henceforth  by  the  natural  process  of  reflec- 
tion, aided  by  the  promised  illumination  of  the 
Spirit,  they  Avill  come  to  apprehend  the  true  nature 
and  work  of  Christ  and  all  the  consequences  in 
human  salvation.  But  that  will  only  be  the  un- 
folding of  what  is  now  implicitly  possessed.  The 
premises  are  fixed  in  their  minds ;  the  conclusions 
will  follow.  Often,  indeed,  does  a  like  turning- 
point  occur  in  men's  mental  histories,  when  they 
have  reached  a  certain  fixed  assurance,  to  be 
developed  afterwards  by  logical  deductions,  and 
under  spiritual  experience,  into  a  larger  and  fuller 
faith. 

The  disciples,  then,  have  risen  to  a  level  on 
which  they  may  be  left ;  j^et  not  as  if  their  future" 
was  secured  without  need  of  divine  succour  or 
defence.  Such  need  is  created  by  the  life  of  faith 
on  which  they  have  entered.     Therefore,  says  the 


Foil   THE    DISCIPLES  3(35 


Lord,  I  pray  for  them  (^iyon  irepl  avroiv  epoiTM).  I 
—  the  pronoun  is  emphatic  —  make  request  con- 
cerning them.  "  T  pray  not  for  the  world,  but  for 
them  whom  thou  hast  given  me.'"  The  words  are 
solemn,  and  separate  two  spiritual  regions.  How 
sad  to  be  on  the  excluded  side  of  this  dividing 
line !  Yet  they  should  not  be  taken  as  meaning 
more  than  they  say ;  not  as  a  hard  denial  of  all 
concern  for  the  world,  or  as  negativing  any  kind 
of  application  for  it.  The  requests  now  made  are 
inapplical)le  to  its  state  ;  they  belong  only  to 
believers.  Yet  these  are  messengers  to  the  world ; 
and  prayer  for  them  is  also  obliquely  prayer  for 
it,  as  is  in  fact  expressed  afterwards  in  the  words, 
"  that  the  world  may  believe  that  thou  hast  sent 
me  "  (21).  But  those  for  whom  intercession  is 
now  made  have  not  only  their  own  needs,  but  their 
own  claims  as  objects  of  peculiar  interest  to  Christ 
and  to  God.  They  are  "  those  whom  thou  hast 
given  me  ;  for  they  are  thine."  It  was  said  before, 
"they  were  thine,  and  thou  gavest  them  me";  now 
it  is  said,  "  they  ai'e  thine  "  ;  and  all  the  more  so, 
as  having  been  given  to  me,  for  "  all  things  that 
are  mine  are  thine,  and  thine  are  mine ;  and  I  am 
glorified  in  them."  Already,  in  the  Discourse, 
like  words  have  been  spoken.  This  repetition 
shews  that  this  ineffable  consciousness  is  habitual 
to  the  mind  of  Him  who  speaks.  It  would  have 
been   plea   sufficient   for   the    present  purpose   to 


36G  THE   PRAYER 


have  urged  that  the  souls  which  have  become  mine 
claim  divine  affection  because  whatever  is  mine  is 
thine  ;  but  it  is  a  really  incalculable  advance  to 
reverse  the  thought,  and  say,  "And  all  things 
that  are  thine  are  mine."  Luther  observes,  "Any 
one  might  justly  say  to  God,  '  All  that  is  mine  is 
thine ' ;  but  no  created  being  could  go  on  to  say, 
'  And  all  that  is  thine  is  mine.'  This  is  a  word 
for  Christ  alone."  It  is  a  universal  transcendental 
saying,  yet  connected  here  with  a  special  applica- 
tion. There  is  a  discrimination  between  "thy 
things"  and  "my  things,"  though  they  are  also 
united  in  the  common  lordship  and  ownership. 
If.  therefore,  we  read  the  words  "  my  tilings  "  as 
intending,  in  the  way  of  distinction,  whatever  is 
historically  given  and  appropriated  to  Christ,  then 
we  may  understand  by  "  thy  things "  that  which 
is  in  true  relation  to  God,  but  has  not  been  so 
brought  within  the  Christian  economy ;  such,  for 
example,  as  things  before  Christ,  or  outside  the 
Church.  If  this  be  so,  we  have,  in  the  words  "  All 
thine  are  mine,"  a  large  extension  of  the  relation 
to  Christ  personally,  by  adoption  into  his  media- 
torial kingdom,  of  much  on  which  his  name  has 
not  been  named,  and  lying  beyond  the  boundary 
line  of  historical  Christianity.  The  thought  is 
Avelcome,  as  enlarging  the  sense  of  kindred  in 
Christ,  but  on  sneh  words  any  comment  must  be 
offered  in  godly  fear.     As  for  the   words  which 


Ill  FOR   THE   DISCirLES  3G7 

follow,  "And  I  am  glorified  in  them,"  these  are 
usually,  and  perhaps  rightly,  taken  as  reverting 
to  the  case  of  tlie  disciples,  in  whom  some  of 
the  glory  of  his  manifestation  has  been  reflected. 
The  intervening  words  then  become  parenthetic. 
But  the  passage  may  be  read  continuously,  "  All 
thy  things  are  mine,  and  I  am  glorified  in  them." 
There  is  nothing  that  is  God's  which  does  not 
contribute  glory  to  Him,  in  whom,  as  true  Head 
of  mankind,  all  right  desire  is  accepted,  and  all 
initial  goodness  perfected.  Tlie  passage,  I  think, 
may  be  read  in  either  way.  If  in  the  first,  it  adds 
a  further  plea  for  the  disciples  in  that  their  Lord 
is  glorified  in  them :  if  in  the  second,  it  extends 
that  glorification  over  a  wider  circle  of  human 
life  and  various  conditions  of  knowledge. 

Section  2 
V.  11-19 

The  disciples  have  been  commended  to  God, 
and  the  grounds  of  commendation  have  been 
given.     The  need  for  it  and  the  aim  of  it  follow. 

"  And  I  am  no  more  in  the  world,  and  these  are  in  the 
world,  and  I  come  to  thee.  Holy  Father,  keep  them  in  thy 
name  which  thou  hast  given  me,  that  they  may  be  one,  even 
as  we  are.  While  I  was  with  them,  T  kept  them  in  thy  name 
which  thou  hast  given  me:  and  T  guarded  them,  and  not  one 
of  them  perished,  but  the  son  of  perdition  •  that  the  Scrip- 


3G8  THE   PRAYER 


ture  might  be  fulfilled.  But  now  T  come  to  thee :  and  these 
things  I  speak  in  tlie  world,  that  they  may  have  my  joy  ful- 
filled in  themselve.i.  I  have  given  them  thy  word ;  and  the 
world  hated  them,  because  they  are  not  of  the  world,  even  as 
I  am  not  of  the  world.  I  pray  not  that  thou  shouldest  take 
them  out  of  the  world,  but  that  thou  shouldest  keep  them 
from  the  evil  one.  They  are  not  of  the  world,  even  as  I  am 
not  of  the  world.  Sanctify  them  in  the  truth :  thy  word  is 
truth.  As  thou  didst  send  me  into  the  world,  even  so  sent  I 
them  into  the  world.  And  for  their  sakes  I  sanctify  myself, 
that  they  also  might  be  sanctified  through  the  truth  "  (11- 
19). 

This  intercession  for  the  disciples  (1)  discloses 
the  sense  of  the  situation,  (2)  urges  the  requests 
which  it  inspires. 

1.  The  situation  for  the  disciples  is  seen  as  a 
subject  for  grave  solicitude.  They  are  in  the 
world  ;  indeed,  are  sent  into  it.  They  will  be  left 
in  it  witliout  the  guardian  care  which  they  have 
had ;  and  they  are  still  weak  and  dependent. 
■Doubtless,  as  they  heard  the  words,  they  deeply 
felt  their  truth.  Soon  they  will  feel  it  more,  and 
derive  continual  comfort  from  this  prevailing  in- 
tei'cession,  and  from  the  experience  which  will  be 
the  answer  to  it. 

Significant,  and  touching  in  their  significance, 
are  the  words,  "I  am  no  more  in  the  world,  and 
these  are  in  the  world,  and  I  come  to  thee."  Jesus 
(after  the  crisis  is  over)  will  liave  done  with  tlie 
world,  passing  from  the  painful  experiences  of  its 


Ill  FOR    THE    DISCIPLES  369 

evil  state  and  active  enmity  into  the  presence 
where  these  can  be  felt  no  longer.  All  the  more 
does  He  speak  as  one  would  do,  who,  delivered 
from  trying  circumstances  himself,  must  leave 
those  whom  he  loves  to  bear  them.  It  is  a  short 
saying,  "  These  are  in  the  world,"  but  it  has  a 
tone  of  compassionate  meaning.  It  is  not  for 
them  a  place  where  they  can  be  at  home,  for  "  they 
are  not  of  the  world " ;  nor  where  they  can  be  at 
peace,  for  "  the  world  hated  them,"  and  will  make 
its  liatred  felt ;  bnt,  what  is  worse,  it  is  a  place  of 
damage  and  danger  in  respect  of  their  life  towards 
God.  Its  adverse  powers,  its  subtle  influences  of 
evil,  its  infected  atmosphere,  have  been  felt  by 
Him  who  speaks  with  the  keen  sensibility  which 
belongs  to  perfect  holiness.  These  weak  souls, 
with  the  natural  pi-edispositions  of  sin,  have  needed 
succours  and  safeguards.  These  they  have  had 
in  the  companionship  of  their  Lord  through  the 
time  of  which  He  says,  "  While  I  was  with  them  " ; 
but  that  time  is  over,  and  its  defences  will  be  no 
more. 

"  While  I  was  with  them,  I  kept  them  in  thy  name  which 
thou  hast  given  me:  and  I  guarded  them,  and  not  one  of 
them  perislied,  but  the  son  of  perdition ;  that  the  Scripture 
might  be  fulfilled.     But  now  I  come  to  thee." 

There  is  light  lierc  on  the  dispensation  which 
has  hitherto  subsisted  for  these  disciples,  and  light 
on   the   Lord's    action    under    it.     The    particular 

Y 


370  THE   PKAYER 


assistances  which  cease  with  his  departure  are 
plainly  those  not  of  supernatural  grace,  but  of 
natural  intercourse.  These  powers,  not  those, 
were  exercised  by  Jesus  in  his  life  on  earth.  That 
was  the  dispensation  then.  Of  his  action  under 
it,  He  speaks  here  in  words  which  reflect  a  grave 
and  tender  light  upon  the  past.  "  I  kept  them  in 
the  name  which  thou  gavest  me  —  I  guarded  them 
—  not  one  of  them  is  lost "  (with  the  foreseen 
exception).  In  the  Gospel  narratives  the  educa- 
tion of  the  Apostles  is  interwoven  with  the  mani- 
festation to  the  world,  and  it  is  a  substantive 
part  of  the  story.  It  was  education  by  a  Teacher 
ever  in  touch  with  their  feelings  and  alive  to  their 
dangers.  We  see  it  in  some  warm  encouragement 
or  sharp  rebuke  to  Peter ;  in  some  admonition  to 
James  and  John,  when  they  "knew  not  what  they 
asked,"  or  "knew  not  what  manner  of  spirit  they 
were  of  " ;  in  reproofs  of  unbelief,  or  confirmations 
of  faith ;  in  correction  of  false  expectations,  of 
worldly  estimates,  or  of  selfish  emulations ;  and 
also  in  the  providence  which  ordered  their  pro- 
gress, and  kept  them  from  premature  exposures. 
Of  the  last  considerate  care,  an  instance  occurs  in 
the  next  chapter,  which  is  taken  as  an  illustration 
of  these  very  words  (xviii.  8,  9).  Yet  are  these 
but  occasional  expressions  of  the  daily  watchful- 
ness which  is  here  disclosed.  "  I  kept  them  (e^w 
ertjpovv  avToixi^  in   the   name  which  thou  gavest 


Ill  FOR   THE   DISCIPLES  871 

me  "  —  in  tlie  faith  and  life  wliicli  it  creates.  "  I 
guarded  them  (i<^v\a^a)  as  against  crafts  and 
assaults  of  the  enemy  in  their  moments  of  weak- 
ness and  liabilities  to  error.  And  it  has  not  been 
vain ;  up  to  this  hour  tliey  are  preserved  in  a  true 
faith  in  the  holy  name.  One  only  is  lost,  and  by 
his  own  will  and  deed.  He  too  was  taught,  cor- 
rected, warned,  as  others  were  ;  but  it  was  vain 
for  him,  who  was  "  the  son  of  perdition."  "  Not 
one  perished  (aTrcoXero),  but  the  son  of  perishing" 
(«7r&)Xefa9)  ;  the  well-known  Hebrew  expression 
intimating  that  which  is  the  result  of  a  man's 
personal  nature  and  moral  state,  rather  than  that 
to  which  he  is  destined  or  sentenced.  It  was 
strange  tliat  such  a  man  should  be  "  one  of  the 
twelve,"  but  it  liad  been  foreshewn,  as  Jesus  had 
already  intimated  (xiii.  18),  applying  to  Himself 
the  words  of  the  Psalmist  (Ps.  xli.  9) ;  and  that 
Scripture  had  to  be  fulfilled,  first  in  its  character 
of  prediction  concerning  the  pre-ordained  circum- 
stances of  the  Passion  ;  and  also  in  its  character 
of  warning,  as  to  alien  elements  to  be  found  in 
sacred  companies,  and  unhappy  histories  in  the 
very  homes  of  salvation. 

These,  then,  are  the  reasons  for  intercession,  — 
the  disciples  left  in  the  world,  and  sent  into  it ; 
their  former  safeguard  gone,  and  their  INIaster 
taken  from  their  head.  We  see  not  only  wliy  the 
intercession  is  made,  but  why  they  are  permitted 


872  THE   PRAYER 


to  hear  it.  Nothing  else  coiikl  have  so  assured 
them  that  their  Lord,  in  resigning  his  external 
guardianship,  secured  for  them  unseen  protection, 
and  that  the  care  over  them  is  not  withdrawn 
because  its  method  is  changed.  They  learn  that 
it  is  now  to  be  given  from  above,  and  to  be  sought 
by  prayer ;  and  the  prayer  which  they  hear  is  an 
instructive  example  to  them,  as  well  as  a  prevailing 
intercession  for  them. 

TJie  prayer  begins  with  an  unusual  address. 
For  Himself  it  is  always  "  Father  " ;  for  the  disci- 
ples it  is  "  Holy  Father,"  as  opening  a  request 
that  they  may  be  made  and  kept  holy.  For  such 
desires  it  lays  again  the  old  foundation,  "  Be  ye 
holy,  for  I  am  holy."  The  petition  is  threefold: 
1.  Keep  them  in  thy  name  which  thou  hast  given 
me.  2.  Keep  them  from  the  evil.  3.  Sanctify 
them  in  thy  truth.  We  learn  the  true  order  of 
things :  first,  there  is  the  position  of  believers ; 
then,  preservation  from  attacks  upon  it ;  then, 
development  in  holiness. 

It  is  "  keeping  "  grace  which  is  asked  for ;  and 
that  applies  to  those  who  are  already  in  the  true 
position.  This  position  is  twice  described  as  being 
"  in  the  name  which  thou  hast  given  me."  It  is  a 
closely  condensed  expression,  and  one  that  has  no 
exact  parallel  to  assist  explanation,  so  that  great 
difficulty  has  been  felt  concerning  it.  Yet  one 
may  venture  to  say  that  if  "  thy  name  "  expresses 


Ill  FOR   THE   DISCIPLES  373 

the  knowledge  of  God  as  discovered  in  his  relations 
with  man,  then  was  it  "given"  to  Christ  in  the 
same  sense  in  which  the  Word  and  the  works  are 
ever  said  to  be  given;  that  is,  communicated  to 
Him  in  his  human  mediatorship,  in  order  that  He 
should  communicate  it  to  men.  But  perhaps  we 
may  go  farther  in  interpreting  this  gift  of  the 
"  name,"  and  say  that  the  relations  of  God  to  man 
which  it  expresses  were  delivered  to  Christ  not 
only  to  reveal,  but  to  realise  and  effectuate.  For 
instance,  the  original  "  proclaiming  of  the  name  of 
the  Lord "  (Ex.  xxxiii.  19,  and  xxxiv.  6,  7)  was 
"•  The  Lord,  the  Lord  God,  merciful  and  gracious, 
long  suffering,  and  abundant  in  goodness  and 
truth ;  keeping  mercy  for  thousands ,  forgiving 
iniquity,  transgression,  and  sin."  To  Christ  it  was 
given  not  only  to  declare  this  name,  but  to  justify 
it,  by  the  atonement  which  made  way  for  the 
operation  of  these  attributes  of  grace  and  mercy 
and  forgiveness.  If  "  God  is  love,"  that  name  was 
manifested  in  his  Son,  and  is  known  for  ever  as 
"the  love  of  God  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our 
Lord."  In  that  and  in  other  respects,  the  name 
was  given  Him  to  be  both  realised  and  revealed  in 
his  person. 1 

1  It  will  be  observed  that  in  the  sentence  commented  on 
there  is  an  important  difference  from  the  wording  with  which 
we  are  familiar.  The  reading  followed  in  the  Authorised  Ver- 
sion is  ovs,  "  whom  thou  hast  given  nie"  ;  that  in  the  Kevised 
Version  is  <jJ,  '•  which  thou  hast  given  me"  ;  the  one  referring 


374  THE   PRAYER 


The  Prayer  is  that  the  disciples  may  be  kept 
in  this  name,  by  preservation  in  the  faith  which 
holds  to  it  and  the  life  which  responds  to  it ;  and 
this  will  be,  for  them,  a  progressive  faith  and  life, 
as  is  said  afterwards,  "  I  have  declared  unto  them 
thy  name  and  will  declare  it "  (26).  Furthei'more, 
this  name,  being  the  same  in  all,  will  become  not 
only  an  individual  but  a  "common  salvation."  It 
will  constitute  an  essential  unity  in  the  same  con- 
scious relations  with  God,  found  in  the  same  Lord 
and  vitalised  by  the  same  Spirit,  so  as  to  reflect  the 
very  mystery  of  the  Godhead.  This  is  a  far  deeper 
unity  than  that  of  mere  likemindedness  (^o/jLovota), 
as  Grotius  and  others  of  his  school  have  interpreted, 
an  interpretation  which  falls  short  of  the  meaning 
of  the  august  comparison,  "  That  they  may  be  one 
as  we  are."  If  the  comparison  is  lofty,  the  lan- 
guage in  which  it  is  couched  is  more  so.  "  As  we 
are,"  KaOax;  7]fi€i<i  —  What  man,  angel,  or  archangel 
could  thus  speak  of  the  Eternal  ? 

to  men,  the  other  to  the  name.  The  evidence  for  the  latter  is 
decisive.  Tlie  peculiarity  of  the  expression  probably  suggested 
the  change  of  reading  as  the  true  one.  Some  commentators, 
who  could  accept  the  former  reading,  have  felt  so  much  the 
singularity  of  the  expression,  "  thy  name  lohich  thou  hast  given,'''' 
and  tlie  difficulty  of  interpreting  it,  that  they  have  resorted  to 
the  supposition  that  (^J  is  a  change  from  5,  referring  not  to  the 
name,  but  to  the  disciples,  as  in  the  phrase,  vdp  o  deduKds  — 
being  in  explanatory  apposition  with  avrovs.  (So  Bengel,  Stier, 
Godet.)  They  produce  an  awkward  construction,  witliout  real 
authority  for  it.  I  cannot  feel  the  difficulty  as  seriously  as  they 
do.     To  me  the  phrase  seems  not  unnatural. 


Ill  FOR  THE   DISCIPLES  375 

The  Prayer  proceeds  from  that  in  which  the  dis- 
ciples are  to  be  kept,  to  that  from  which  they  are 
to  be  kept ;  but  it  proceeds  freely,  as  thought  suc- 
ceeds thought,  not  formally,  as  we  might  arrange 
it.  The  petition,  "  Keep  them  in  thy  name,"  has 
recalled  the  way  in  which  they  have  hitherto  been 
kept ;  and  that  has  involved  the  inevitable  mention 
of  the  one  exception ;  after  which  the  line  of  thought 
is  resumed,  but  diversified  with  tones  of  love  and 
sympathy. 

"  But  now  I  come  to  thee ;  and  these  things  I 
speak  in  the  world,  that  they  may  have  my  joy  ful- 
filled in  themselves."  The  last  words  occurred  in 
the  discourse  (xv.  11),  and  their  recurrence  here 
shews  how  near  the  desire  was  to  the  Lord's  heart. 
It  is  joy  which  He  intends  for  them,  —  his  own  joy 
fulfilled  in  themselves.  But  there  is  so  much  that 
goes  against  it,  in  his  departure  and  in  the  enmity 
of  the  world.  Therefore  does  He  speak  these 
words  in  their  hearing,  before  dej^arture  and  in  the 
world,  that  they  may  know  that  He  has  secured  for 
them  the  succours  and  resources  of  God :  "  That 
they  may  hear,"  says  Luther,  "how  I  ask  it  for 
them,  that  they  may  surely  be  for  the  future  under 
thy  protection  and  guardian  care,  on  which  relying 
they  may  feel  most  constant  confidence  that  they 
will  not  be  forsaken,  though  the  whole  world  with 
all  devils  fiercely  rage  against  them."  Experience 
adds  force  to  his  words,  as  in  all  his  animated  ex- 


376  THE    PRAYER 


position  of  this  chapter ;  and  doubtless  for  the 
Apostles,  as  for  him,  such  experience  assisted  in- 
stead of  hindering  the  fulfilment  of  the  joy. 

To  this  experience  in  the  world  the  Lord  now 
adverts,  using  language  which  we  have  already 
heard  in  the  Discourse,  and  founds  upon  it  the  re- 
quest, "  I  pray  not  that  thou  shouldest  take  them 
out  of  the  world,  but  that  thou  shouldest  keep 
them  out  of  the  evil  one."  It  would  not  be  good 
that  they  should  be  taken  out  of  the  world ;  for 
their  work  is  in  it,  and  in  it  they  are  to  be  exer- 
cised and  matured,  and  to  win  their  crown.  Be- 
sides, all  the  work  of  God  in  the  world  would  be 
over,  without  the  presence  and  action  of  those  who 
are  not  of  it,  since  it  is  his  will  to  work  on  men 
only  by  the  agency  of  men.  They  must  not,  there- 
fore, be  taken  too  soon  out  of  the  world,  either  by 
death  or  by  such  separation  as  would  deprive  it  of 
their  influence  and  example.  But  their  continu- 
ance in  it  could  not  be  without  danger  to  them- 
selves ;  therefore  for  those  who  are  not  of  the 
world  there  is  need  to  pray,  "  Keep  them  from  the 
evil." 

Such  is  the  general  meaning  of  the  petition,  but 
literally  it  is  more  explicit ;  not  "  from,"  but  "  out 
of,"  and  (probably)  not  the  evil,  but  the  evil  one'. 
It  is  not  a  name,  but  an  epithet,  and  the  case  does 
not  shew  whether  it  is  derived  from  the  impersonal 
neuter,  rb  irovrjpov,  or  from  the  personal  masculine 


Ill  FOR  THE  DISCIPLES  377 

6  7rov7]p6<;.  Naturally,  different  conclusions  are 
held,  and  much  has  been  alleged  for  each  of  them. 
It  seems  to  me  that  St.  John's  own  understanding 
of  the  word  is  reflected  from  his  Epistle,  v.  18,  19, 
where  these  thoughts  reappear.  Thei'e  it  is  said  of 
Him  that  is  begotten  of  God,  and  therefore  is  not 
of  this  world,  that  "  he  keepeth  himself,  and  the 
evil  one  toucheth  him  not :  and  we  know  that  we 
are  of  God,  and  the  whole  world  lies  in  the  evil 
(one)."  The  meaning  in  the  first  sentence,  being 
clear,  would  seem  also  to  rule  that  of  the  second, 
though  Stier  holds  that  it  does  not.  Certainly  the 
prepositions,  (e'/c)  out  of  and  (eV)  iti,  apply  more 
naturally  to  a  state  than  to  a  person ;  a  state  out 
of  which  the  believer  is  kept,  and  in  which  the 
world  is  lying :  but  in  the  spiritual  world  person- 
ality expands,  and  its  character  becomes  a  state  in 
those  whom  it  possesses  or  assimilates.  The  evil, 
thus  diffused,  comes  within  our  cognisance,  but  in 
the  Lord's  survey  of  the  moral  scene  the  central 
power  and  personal  source  of  evil  is  before  his  eye. 
Tlirough  his  whole  ministry  this  living  power  has 
been  recognised.  Even  in  the  early  teaching  this 
epithet  was  used  in  the  personal  sense  in  "Then 
Cometh  the  evil  one  and  taketh  away  the  word  out 
of  their  hearts."  The  Apostles  derived  this  truth 
from  their  Master,  and,  in  passages  too  numerous 
to  cite,  have  intimated  their  painful  sense  of  the 
power  against  which  they  had  to  contend,  to  watch. 


378  THE   PRAYER 


and  to  warn.  The  prayer  that  God  will  keep  his 
servants,  who  must  encounter  the  subtle  efforts  of 
the  enemy,  teaches  believers  for  ever  to  rely  on  this 
keeping  or  guarding  grace.  The  echoes  of  this 
word  of  prayer  are  heard  all  along  the  line  of  apos- 
tolic teaching,  as  from  St.  Paul  in  an  assurance, 
"  The  Lord  is  faithful,  who  shall  stablish  you  and 
guard  you  from  the  evil  one  "  (2  Thess.  iii.  3),  or 
from  St.  Peter,  in  congratulation  of  those  who  are 
"  guarded  by  the  power  of  God  through  faith  unto 
salvation "  (1  Pet.  i.  5),  or  by  St.  Jude  in  com- 
mendation "  to  him  who  is  able  to  guard  you  from 
falling,  and  to  present  you  faultless  before  the 
presence  of  his  glory  with  exceeding  joy  "(v.  25). 
For  those  who  are  not  of  the  world  and  who 
are  kept  in  the  Name,  and  kept  out  of  the  evil, 
there  is  yet  a  further  petition  to  be  made,  one  in 
which  the  Lord  will  link  his  servants  still  more 
closely  with  Himself. 

"  They  are  not  of  the  world,  even  as  I  am  not  of  the  world. 
Sanctify  them  in  the  truth ;  thy  word  is  truth.  As  thou 
didst  send  me  into  the  world,  even  so  sent  I  them  into  the 
world.  And  for  their  sakes  I  sanctify  myself,  that  they 
themselves  also  may  be  sanctified  in  truth"  (16-19). 

I  take  the  repetition  of  the  first  sentence  as 
giving  ground  for  this  petition,  as  it  gave  ground 
for  the  last.  Only  those  who  are  not  of  the  world 
can  be  sanctified  in  the  truth;  for  sanctification  is 
a  process  founded  upon  a  certain  spiritual  position. 


Ill  FOR   THE   DISCIPLES  379 

proving  its  character  and  developing  its  capacities  ; 
and  thongh  there  are  ceremonial  and  sacramental 
and  relative  sanctifications,  these  are  rather  in  the 
adumbrations  or  confines  of  the  truth  than  in 
the  truth  itself.  Sanctification  is  not  synonymous 
with  purification,  though  inclusive  of  it.  Its  dis- 
tinctive idea  is  not  in  its  separation  from  un clean- 
ness in  the  world,  but  in  its  relation  to  the  holy 
God.  In  the  typical  scheme,  the  sanctifications 
according  to  the  flesh  were  to  qualify  for  acts  of 
approach  to  God,  or  communion  with  God,  or  ser- 
vice to  God ;  and  so  it  is  in  the  region  of  spirit 
and  truth,  in  which  these  relations  with  God  are 
realised.  This  admits  of  a  distinction  between 
sanctification  in  general,  necessary  for  all  life 
towards  God,  and  sanctification  for  special  rela- 
tions or  services ;  but  if  the  latter  is  thought  of,  it 
presupposes  the  former ;  otherwise  it  could  not  be 
in  truth.  On  this  account,  we  take  the  prayer, 
"  Sanctify  them  in  the  truth,"  as  proper  to  the 
disciples  as  such,  and  therefore  to  all  other  disci- 
ples ;  while,  from  the  context  as  well  as  from  the 
nature  of  the  occasion,  we  recognise  its  special 
intention  for  them  as  Apostles,  and  therefore  for 
all  who  share  their  mission  and  ministry. 

First,  there  is  a  great  incitement  and  strong 
assurance  in  these  words  of  Jesus  for  all  believers, 
who  know  that  their  sanctification  is  "  the  will  of 
God,"   and   the   privilege   of   their  state,  and   the 


380  THE   TRAYER 


proper  fruit  of  their  faith,  and  the  special  work  of 
the  Spirit,  and  that  which  they  are  to  follow  after, 
and  "  without  which  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord." 
To  hear  it  asked  for  them  at  the  fountain-head 
of  prayer  is  guidance  to  their  own  prayers,  and 
encouragement  to  their  expectations,  through  all 
generations.  At  the  same  time,  the  next  sentence 
directs  their  minds  to  the  Word  of  God  as  the 
power  which  for  this  end  the  Spirit  of  truth  will 
use.  The  Word  reveals  the  truths  from  which 
Christian  motives  spring,  and  is  the  communica- 
tion of  the  mind  of  God  to  the  mind  of  man,  and 
tells  upon  the  inner  sanctuaries  of  our  being,  as 
well  as  on  the  resulting  actions,  and  thus  creates 
a  sanctification  in  the  truth,  which  can  never  be 
attained  by  observances  and  performances  on 
which,  for  this  purpose,  human  nature  has  been 
prone  to  rely. 

But  this  personal  sanctification  which  the  Apos- 
tles shared  with  all  believers  is  not  all  that  is  in- 
tended here.  Their  sanctification  is  for  their  mis- 
sion from  their  Lord,  analogous  to  his  mission  from 
the  Father,  and  in  a  certain  sense  a  continuation  of 
it,  and  his  sanctification  for  his  work  is  the  cause 
or  condition  of  their  sanctification  for  theirs.  In 
such  a  connexion  of  thought,  sanctification  includes 
consecration  to  God  in  a  special  office  and  service. 
The  great  commission  is  solemnly  recited  before 
God.     "  As  thou  sentest  me  into  the  world,  even 


Ill  FOR   THE   DISCIPLES  381 

SO  sent  I  them  into  the  world  "  —  to  be  in  it  my 
messengers  to  men,  ministers  of  my  word,  and 
founders  of  my  Church.  "As  thou  sentest  me" 
stands  first,  as  being  the  origin  of  what  follows  ; 
and  "I  sent"  is  in  the  historic  tense,  the  apostolic 
mission  having  been  the  object  of  their  first 
calling,  and  having  been  already  in  some  tenta- 
tive way  commenced.  Consecration  to  such  a 
mission  must  be  by  divine  appointment  and  divine 
endowment,  manifested  in  self-dedication  in  will 
and  deed.  So  Jesus  was  sanctified  by  God  and 
by  Himself;  first  by  God,  as  He  spake  of  Him- 
self elsewhere  (x.  36),  as  "  Him  whom  the  Father 
hath  sanctified  and  sent  into  the  world,"  i.e. 
consecrated  by  eternal  decree,  by  holy  incarna- 
tion, and  by  anointing  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  and 
secondly,  by  his  own  will  and  deed,  as  it  is  here 
said,  "  I  sanctify  myself."  I  do  so,  that  is,  in  the 
constant  spirit  and  successive  acts  of  self-dedica- 
tion, and  now,  in  acceptance  of  the  cross  and 
passion,  by  which,  as  was  once  said,  "I  shall  be 
perfected"  (Luke  xiii.  32).  The  tacit  implication 
is  another  instance  of  that  reticence  on  the  subject 
which  has  been  maintained  through  these  hours. 
But  the  word  "I  sanctify  myself"  will  not  wait 
long  for  explanation.  That  came  in  Gethsemane, 
in  the  final  self-surrender,  and  on  Calvary,  when, 
"through  the  eternal  Spirit,  he  offered  himself, 
without  spot,  to  God." 


382  THE   PRAYER 


This  consecration  of  self  is  said  to  be  "  for  them, 
to  the  end  that  they  also  themselves  may  be  sanc- 
tified in  truth."  The  great  example  is  persuasive  ; 
but  it  would  be  a  meagre  interpretation  to  read 
(uTre/a  avTwv)  "  for  them "  as  limited  to  example. 
The  sanctification  of  Christ  is  not  only  the  pattern, 
it  is  the  fountain  of  the  sanctification  of  the  Church. 
All  holiness  in  believers  is  consciously  derived  from 
the  holiness  of  Christ,  as  its  meritorious  cause  and 
its  communicative  source :  and  this  is  expressed 
when  we  make  our  own  great  act  of  self-consecra- 
tion and  say,  "  Here  we  offer  and  present  unto  thee, 
O  Lord,  ourselves,  our  souls  and  bodies,  to  be  a  rea- 
sonable, holy,  and  lively  sacrifice  unto  thee  "  ;  for 
this  is  then  and  there  based  on  the  union  with 
Christ,  which  has  been  renewed,  and,  more  par- 
ticularly, on  our  participation  in  the  power  of  his 
meritorious  cross  and  passion.  So,  in  respect  of 
the  special  consecration  here  in  question,  the  Apos- 
tles would  ever  feel  that  by  the  voluntary  and 
meritorious  consecration  of  Himself,  their  Lord  has 
obtained  the  right  and  power  to  communicate  a 
like  spirit  to  them.  For  them  personally  and  for 
them  first,  and  then  for  their  successors,  and  for  all 
who  in  various  measures  share  in  their  mission,  this 
prayer  of  Jesus  asks,  through  all  generations,  foT 
the  sanctification  of  the  man  and  the  consecration 
of  the  minister. 

Christ,  then,  is  the  author  of  this  sanctifying 


Ill  FOR  THE  DISCIPLES  383 

grace  by  his  merits  and  intercession,  and  the  agent 
in  it  is  the  Holy  Spirit,  sent  by  Him  from  the 
Father.  He  it  is  "who  sanctities  all  the  elect 
people  of  God,"  for  the  common  course  and  vari- 
ous service  of  Christian  life ;  and  it  is  He  who,  in 
addition,  and  within  this  region  of  action,  sanctifies 
in  a  special  sense  for  that  high  commission  which 
was  first  conferred  on  these  Apostles,  to  be  per- 
petuated while  the  Church  endures.  This  prayer 
of  Christ  has  joined  together  the  sending  and  the 
sanctifying;  and  evermore,  mission  and  consecra- 
tion go  together  for  those  who  are  "separated  to 
the  Gospel  of  God."  The  Holy  Ghost  is  the  con- 
secrator ;  and  so  St.  Paul  speaks  to  the  elders  at 
Miletus  of  "the  flock  in  the  which  the  Holy  Ghost 
has  made  you  bishops  to  feed  the  Church  of  God  "  ; 
and  so  the  ordaining  act  is  still  accompanied  by 
the  words,  "  Receive  the  Holy  Ghost  for  the  office 
and  work  of  a  priest  in  the  Church  of  God,  now 
committed  unto  thee  by  the  imposition  of  our 
hands."  This  receiving  must  be  active  as  well  as 
passive :  passive  perhaps  for  the  office,  for  that  is 
simply  given  ;  but  active  for  the  work,  for  that  is  to 
be  done.  With  the  solemn  consent  and  the  answer- 
ing faith,  which  are  proper  to  a  great  intention,  is 
this  gift  to  be  "  received,"  and  then  put  to  proof 
throuofh  all  the  work  in  which  that  intention  is  to 
be  fulfilled.  Otherwise,  the  sanctifying  power, 
which  is  pledged  to  faith  and  prayer  and  labour. 


384  THE   PRAYEK 


may  lie  dormant,  and  the  manifestation  of  the 
Spirit  be  withdrawn  from  an  unfaithful  mission 
and  a  lifeless  service.  Alas !  alas !  it  often  is  so  ; 
and  we  have  to  deplore  a  consecration,  valid  indeed 
for  the  office,  but  which  has  not  become  a  sanctifi- 
cation  for  the  work. 


FOR   ALL   BELIEVERS  385 


CHAPTER  IV 

FOR   ALL   BELIEVERS 
V.  20-24 

The  intercession  has  been  immediately  for  the 
disciples  as  commissioned  Apostles  "sent  into  the 
world."  In  view  of  the  consequences  of  that  mis- 
sion the  Prayer  now  expands  and  ascends.  It 
expands  to  include  those  who  will  believe  through 
their  word,  and  in  its  larger  intention  passes  even 
beyond  these  to  the  effect  upon  the  world.  It 
ascends  into  the  highest  region  of  result,  where 
the  consequences  of  the  mission  are  seen  in  (what 
we  may  call)  their  mystic  realisation,  in  spiritual 
unity,  imparted  glory,  and  final  presence  with  the 
Lord. 

"  Neither  for  these  only  do  I  pray ;  but  for  them  also  that 
believe  on  me  through  their  word ;  that  they  may  all  be 
one ;  even  as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and  I  in  thee,  that 
they  also  may  be  in  us ;  that  the  world  may  believe  that 
thou  didst  send  me.  And  the  glory  which  thou  hast  given 
unto  me  I  have  given  unto  them,  that  they  may  be  one, 
even  as  we  are  one;  I  in  them,  and  thou  in  me,  that  they 
may  be  perfected  into  one ;  tliat  the  world  may  know  that 

z 


386  THE   PRAYER 


thou  didst  send  me,  and  lovedst  them  even  as  thou  lovedst 
me :  Father,  that  which  thou  hast  given  me  ;  I  will  that 
whei'e  I  am  they  also  may  be  with  me;  that  they  may 
behold  my  glory  which  thou  hast  given  me :  for  thou 
lovedst  me  before  the  foundation  of  the  world"  (20-24). 


Section  1 
20-23 

First  in  this  section  of  the  Prayer  we  observe 
the  persons  for  whom  it  is  made:  "Not  for  these 
only,  but  for  those  believing  on  me  through  their 
word."  The  reading  followed  in  the  Authorized 
Version  from  the  Vulgate  {Trio-reva-ovrcov^^  "  that 
shall  believe,"  was  a  natural  change  from  the  true 
reading  (jnarevovTwv)  "  that  believe,"  seeing  that 
these  believers  were  as  yet  only  in  the  future. 
But  the  present  participle  contemplates  them  as 
before  the  eye  of  the  speaker;  or  rather  it  takes 
no  account  of  time,  but  is  a  simple  description  of 
their  state  —  "  all  those  believing  in  me."  These 
are  the  persons  for  whom  this  Prayer  is  made.  It 
is  not  for  the  world  or  for  "them  that  are  with- 
out." Jesus  does  not  anywhere  ask  that  faith 
may  be  given  and  that  men  may  believe,  but  for 
those  who  believe  in  Him  already,  without  defin- 
ing the  measure  and  power  of  their  faith.  They 
are  so  far  attached  to  Him,  and  are  therefore  the 
fit  objects  of  his  care,  and  are  in  the  spiritual  state 


IV  FOR   ALL   BELIEVERS  387 

to  which  these  petitions  apply.  It  is  a  vast  and 
ever-increasing  multitude  which  rises  before  the 
mind  of  the  speaker,  such  as  only  divine  foresight 
could  survey  and  divine  love  embrace. 

Yet  it  is  connected  by  spiritual  propagation  and 
descent  with  the  little  company  which  that  room 
contains.  Therefore  they  stand  in  the  foreground, 
as  both  the  present  and  first  believers,  and,  through 
the  word  which  is  in  them,  transmitters  of  the 
faith  to  others.  So  it  is  added  "believing  on  me 
through  their  word."  Bishop  Westcott  observes, 
"  In  the  arrangement  of  the  original,  hy  their  word 
is  closely  connected  with  believe,  so  as  to  form  a 
compound  idea,  which  is  followed  by  in  me.'" 
This  believing  is  to  be  through  their  agency,  and 
distinctly  through  their  word  (hia  tov  Xoyov 
avrSiv),  expressive  of  their  doctrine  as  a  whole ; 
"  not  only,"  says  Godet,  "  the  witness  and  narra- 
tion of  the  facts,  but  the  teaching  which  attaches 
to  them,  the  explanation  of  the  facts  in  their  relig- 
ious and  moral  sense ;  it  includes  the  matter  of 
the  Epistles,  as  well  as  that  of  the  Gospels."  It 
is  the  one  enduring  word ;  but  however  long  it 
endures,  it  is  always  their  word.  The  men  there 
present,  "the  Apostles  whom  he  had  chosen," 
were  receivers  and  transmitters  of  the  word  in  a 
sense  in  which  no  other  men  could  ever  be  so. 
The  future  city  must  rest  at  its  base  upon  "  twelve 
foundations,  and  in  them  the  names  of  the  twelve 


388  THE   PRAYER 


Apostles  of  the  Lamb."  The  future  history  of 
the  faith  depended  on  tlie  first  stage,  and  the  first 
stage  was  theirs.  They,  genuine  and  simple  char- 
acters, honest  witnesses  of  what  they  had  seen 
and  heard,  enlightened  by  the  Spirit  of  promise, 
made  Jesus  Christ  known  to  men  as  He  was 
known  to  them.  Other  foundation  can  no  man 
lay  than  that  is  laid,  which  is  Jesus  Christ;  and 
that  was  so  laid  at  first  that  no  change  has  passed 
over  it.  Ten  years  of  apostolic  teaching  within 
the  bounds  of  the  holy  land  consolidated  the  funda- 
mental knowledge  of  Chinst  before  the  time  came 
for  its  expansion  in  the  world ;  and  so  the  Twelve 
retain  a  place  which  is  all  their  own  in  relation  to 
the  Gospel,  to  the  Church,  and  to  all  believers. 
"No  man,"  says  Stier,  "should  ever  believe  in 
Christ  without  the  mediation  of  these  first  wit- 
nesses. Even  Paul,  to  whom  the  Lord  Himself 
appeared,  was  first  in  secret  prepared  for  obe- 
dience to  the  heavenly  vision,  and  then  was 
strengthened  in  his  faith,  by  the  apostolic  Church 
which  was  in  Christ  before  him."  Indeed,  there 
is  no  exception ;  no  other  line  of  spiritual  descent 
exists ;  and  when  we  hear  the  prayer  "  for  them 
also  which  believe  on  me  through  their  word," 
we  recognise  the  description  of  our  own  case  and 
know  tliat  it  is  a  prayer  for  us. 

For  the  persons  thus  described,  what  is  it  that 
is  asked?     The  brief   expression  plainly  intends 


FOR   ALL   BELIEVERS  389 


that  what  has  been  asked  for  those  present  is 
now  asked  for  those  who  will  believe  through 
their  word ;  namely,  that  they,  too,  may  be  kept 
in  the  name^  that  they,  too,  may  be  kept  from 
the  evil,  and  that  they,  too,  may  be  sanctified  in 
the  truth.  These  are  the  immediate  subjects  of 
request,  and  what  follows  expresses  the  result 
of  their  fulfilment  —  "-I  ask  it  (JVa)  to  the  end 
that  they  may  all  be  one;  even  as  thou,  Father, 
art  in  me,  and  I  in  thee,  that  they  also  may  be  in 
us  —  that  the  world  may  believe  that  thou  hast 
sent  me."  Thus  the  effects  of  the  fulfilment  of 
the  prayer  are  indicated  in  a  thrice-repeated  /W, 
''that,"  expressive  of  purpose  or  consequence; 
the  first,  desiring  that  they  may  be  07ie ;  the 
second,  that  they  may  be  "  m  us  "  ;  the  third,  that 
the  u'ot'ld  may  believe.  These  ideas  are  again  pre- 
sented more  fully  in  the  following  words :  — 

"  The  glory  which  tliou  liast  given  me  I  have  given  unto 
them  ;  that  they  may  be  one,  even  as  we  are  one ;  I  in  them, 
and  thoix  in  me,  that  they  may  be  perfected  into  one,  that 
the  w^orld  may  know  that  thou  didst  send  me,  and  lovedst 
them,  even  as  thou  lovedst  me." 

The  words  become  more  simple  as  their  mean- 
ing becomes  more  deep ;  and  exposition  fails  in 
dealing  with  language  which  goes  further  than 
human  thought  can  follow,  and  which  is  uttered 
from  a  spiritual  standpoint  beyond  our  power  to 
reach.      Yet    we    can    distinguish   the    ideas   pre- 


890  THE    PRAYER 


sented  to  our  reflection,  and  also  their  progressive 
ascent  through  the  preparation  towards  the  final 
stage  which  is  reached  in  the  verse  following. 

The  first  idea  is  that  of  one-ness  —  "  that  they 
all  may  be  one,  expressed  in  the  most  significant 
manner  by  the  juxtaposition  of  the  words  "  all  one  " 
(7rdvre<i  ev)  ;  the  plural  masculine  and  the  neuter 
singular,  intimating,  not  the  absorption  of  indi- 
vidual life  or  effacement  of  individual  character, 
but  their  comprehension  in  a  higher  unity,  as 
St.  Paul  aigues  at  large  about  the  many  members 
which  have  not  the  same  character,  office,  or  dig- 
nity, yet  are  one  body  in  Christ.  As  scattering, 
severing,  and  dissolution  are  processes  of  failure 
and  death,  so  gathering,  concentration,  and  unity 
are  the  proper  tendencies  of  life.  This  tendency 
of  life  is  twofold.  It  not  only  develops  the  whole 
through  the  union  of  the  parts,  but  it  develops 
.the  several  parts  by  their  union  with  the  whole. 
Only  as  parts  of  a  greater  whole  do  i\\Qy  attain 
their  own  perfection.  This  is  true  socially  as 
well  as  physically  ;  indeed,  it  is  conspicuously  true 
in  human  society.  The  man,  as  Aristotle  taught, 
is  perfected  in  (the  TroXt?)  the  society,  the  city, 
the  state,  in  which  his  higher  capacities  are  brought 
into  action  and  his  whole  being  matured.  That 
which  is  true  of  the  natural  society  is  true  also 
of  the  spiritual  society  of  which  Jesus  Christ  is 
the  author  and  the  head.     But  true  as  it  is  of  the 


IV  FOR   ALL   BELIEVERS  391 

visible  Church,  the  thought  of  Christ  in  this 
supreme  hour  passes  through  the  external  system 
into  the  union  of  spirits  which  is  to  be  created 
within  it,  through  living  relations  with  Himself ; 
a  union  to  be  completed  only  in  that  one-ness  of 
state  and  life  which  will  constitute  the  Church  of 
the  elect,  figuratively  described  as  the  Bride  and 
the  City  of  God.  "  Come  hither  (it  is  said),  and 
I  will  shew  thee  the  Bride,  the  wife  of  the  Lamb. 
And  he  shewed  me  the  holy  city  Jerusalem,  com- 
ing down  out  of  heaven  from  God"  (Rev.  xxi.  9, 
10).  In  that  community  at  last  Christ's  people, 
so  much  divided  and  shrouded  from  each  other  on 
earth,  will  be  "  perfected  into  one." 

The  one-ness,  then,  here  expressed,  lies  not 
merely  in  agreement  of  doctrine,  or  even  the  bond 
of  love,  though  these  are  incidents  of  it,  but  in 
something  deeper.  The  one-ness  is  that  of  the 
members  of  Christ  with  each  other,  as  a  conse- 
quence of  their  union  with  Him,  according  to  that 
mutual  inherence,  whicli  in  the  Discourse  had 
been  represented  under  the  emblem  of  the  Vine, 
and  had  been  there  impressed,  in  the  charge  and 
promise,  "Abide  in  me,  and  I  in  you."  This 
union  is  here  exalted  by  a  correspondence  with 
the  mutual  indwelling  of  the  Father  in  the  Son 
and  the  Son  in  the  Father.  "  That  they  all  ma}^ 
be  one,  even  as  thou.  Father,  art  in  me  and  I  in 
thee,  that  they  also  may  be  in   us "  ;  and  again. 


392  THE   PRAYER 


"  That  tliey  may  be  one,  even  as  we  are  one ;  I  in 
them,  and  thou  in  me,  that  they  may  be  perfected 
into  one."  The  divine  union  here  expressed  is  not, 
as  the  ancient  expositors  mostly  took  it,  that  of 
the  essential  unity  in  the  eternal  Godhead  (though 
this  lies  behind  as  the  basis  of  the  mediatorial 
economy),  but  that  of  the  indwelling  of  the 
Father  in  Christ  incarnate  and  in  his  person  as 
Mediator.  Thus  only  will  the  comparison  hold.^ 
"  As  thou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and  I  in  thee,  that 
they  also  may  be  in  us  "  ;  and  the  word  "  thou  in 
me,  and  I  in  them  "  then  bears  a  like  character  of 
indwelling  in  both  cases.  Throughout  the  Apos- 
tolic Epistles  this  indwelling  of  Christ  in  the 
believer  lies  as  a  deep  foundation  truth  beneath 
all  the  experiences  and  phenomena  of  Christian 
life.  "  Know  ye  not  that  Jesus  Christ  is  in  you, 
except  ye  be  rejected  ?  "  —  "  Christ  liveth  in  me  " 
—  "Christ  in  you  the  hope  of  glory"  —  "Your  life 
is  hid  with  Christ  in  God  "  —  these  and  many  like 
sayings  shew  that  the  indwelling  which  this  Prayer 
affirms  was  realised  in  the  highest  faith  and  con- 
sciousness  of  the  Church.     And  this  union  with 

1  "  Tenendum  est,  quoties  unum  se  cum  Patre  esse  in  hoc 
capite  pronuntiat  Christus,  sermonem  non  haberi  simpliciter  do 
divina  ejus  essentia,  sed  unum  vocari  in  persona  Mediatoris,.et 
quatenus  caput  nostrum  est. 

"  Unde  etiam  colligiraus,  nos  unum  cum  Christo  esse,  non 
quia  suam  in  nos  substantiam  transfundat,  sed  quia  Spiritus 
sui  virtute  nobiscum  vitam  suam  ct  (luiwiuid  accepit  a  Patre 
bonoruin  communicut."  —  Calvin,  in  loc. 


IV  FOR   ALL   BELIEVERS  393 

the  Mediator  in  whom  the  Father  dwells  is  conse- 
quently an  indwelling-  in  (lod.  "We  know,"  says 
St.  John  in  his  last  words  (1  John  v.  20),  "that 
the  Son  of  God  is  come,  and  lias  given  us  an 
understanding  that  we  know  him  that  is  true,  and 
ive  are  in  Jdni  that  is  true,  in  his  Son  Jesus  Christ.''^ 
The  mutual  inherence  between  Christ  and  his 
members  which  in  the  Discourse  had  been  im- 
pressed on  the  disciples  from  the  side  of  human 
will  and  duty  is  thus  in  the  Prayer  reaffirmed 
from  the  side  of  divine  gift  and  grace. 

For  the  consummation  of  the  state  which  Jesus 
asks  for  his  people,  He  also  mentions  a  condition 
which  He  has  Himself  bestowed.  "  The  glory 
wdiich  thou  gavest  me  I  have  given  unto  them, 
that  they  may  be  one  even  as  we  are  one,  I  in 
them,  and  thou  in  me,  that  they  may  be  perfected 
into  one."  What,  then,  is  this  "glory"  which 
tends  to  perfection  of  unity  and  perfection  of 
state?  Various  are  the  leading  ideas  which  com- 
mentators have  adopted  as  answers  to  that  ques- 
tion.^    It  seems  to  me  that  Calvin  has  struck  into 

1  I  cite  only  those  ■which  I  have  at  hand. 

Chrysostum  (thinking  mainly  of  the  Apostles).  —  "  The  glory 
of  the  signs  and  of  the  doctrine  and  of  unity  of  spirit,  opLo^vxia, 
greater  than  signs." 

Attgustin.  —  "The  glory  of  immortality  -which  human  na- 
ture was  to  receive  in  Ilim  "  —  not  yet  attained  —  but  the  past 
tenses  used,  "propter  immobilitatem  praedestinationis. " 

Lnther.  —  "The  glory  which  Christ  has  and  gives  is  the 
same  of  which  He  had  said,  '  That  they  all  may  be  one  as  thou, 


394  THE   PRAYER 


the  right  track  in  speaking  of  the  glory  as  that 
of  the  restoration  of  human  nature  into  the  image 
and  likeness  of  God ;  only  that  sliould  be  under- 
stood, not  merely  as  restoration  from  the  fallen 
state,  but  as  a  consummation  of  union  with  God 
and  likeness  to  God  attained  in  Christ,  beyond 
what  the  original  capacities  of  our  nature,  if  it 
had  not  fallen,  would  have  been  equal  to  attain. 
Was  not  this   the  glory  given  to  Christ  incar- 

Fatlier,  art  in  me,  and  I  in  thee,'  "  identifying  the  glory  with 
the  unity. 

Calvin.  —  "This  blessedness,  that  in  us  is  repaired  and 
formed  afresh  the  image  of  God,  destroyed  by  sin.  Christ  is 
not  only  as  Eternal  Word  the  image  of  God  ;  but  in  the  human 
nature  which  He  has  in  common  with  us  has  inwrought  the 
effigy  of  the  Father's  glory,  that  He  might  transfigure  his 
members  into  it." 

A  Lapide.  —  "  Understand  the  glory  of  the  Divine  Sonship  ; 
for  Christ  has  this,  as  God  by  nature,  and  as  man  by  the 
hypostatical  union,  and  this  He  gives  to  the  holy  faithful  to 
have,  not  by  nature,  but  by  adoption." 

Bengeh  —  Sonship.  "The glory  of  the  Only-hegotten  shining 
out  through  the  So7is  of  God." 

Stier.  —  "The  being  one  is  itself  and  alone  the  glory,  already 
given  in  its  principle,  —  one  and  the  same  with  that  glory  which 
was  to  be  beheld  in  the  future,  and  then  fully  enjoyed." 

Godet.  —  "  The  love  which  the  Father  has  to  Him,  and  which 
He  communicates  to  his  own  —  a  glorious  unity  in  the  Divine 
love." 

Meyers.  —  "The  heavenly  glory,  'given,'  i.e.  assigned  and 
assured." 

Luthardt  now  adopts  the  same,  having  formerly  interpreted 
it,  "  Of  the  ethical  glory  of  grace  and  truth." 

Westcntt. —  "The  perfect  apprehension  of  the  Father  as 
fiiliilling  his  wori<  of  love  —  in  another  point  of  sight,  the  reve- 
lation of  the  divine  in  man,  realised  in  and  throuuh  Christ." 


IV  FOR   ALL   BELIEVERS  395 

nate  ;  that  He  should  restore  and  raise  the  liiinian 
nature  which  He  had  taken,  removing  its  disquali- 
fications by  redemption,  and  realising  in  his  own 
person  the  perfection  of  divine  union  and  like- 
ness? It  had  been  given  Him  to  do  so  on  earth, 
as  discovered  when  "he  dwelt  among  us  (and 
men  beheld  his  glory,  glory  as  of  the  only-begot- 
ten from  the  Father)  full  of  grace  and  truth  " 
(1-14).  It  is  now  given  Him  to  convey  this 
glorified  humanity  into  the  world  above,  where, 
all  conditions  fulfilled,  and  all  veils  removed,  it 
will  shine  forth  in  its  eternal  splendour. 

This  glory  given  to  Him  is  the  same  which  He 
also  gives  to  his  own,  raising  them  through  their 
union  with  Himself  into  union  with  God,  and 
through  likeness  to  Himself  into  the  likeness  of 
God,  according  to  their  measure  of  attainment. 
This  is  what  St.  Paul  describes  as  a  new  creation 
in  Christ  Jesus,  a  creation  "after  the  image  of 
God  in  righteousness  and  holiness  of  truth  "  ;  and 
a  being  "renewed  in  knowledge  after  tlie  image 
of  him  that  created  "  us ;  and  it  is  what  St.  Peter 
calls  a  "partaking  in  the  divine  nature."  This 
restoration  and  exaltation  of  nature  is  founded  on 
justification,  "  Whom  he  called,  them  lie  also  justi- 
fied: and  whom  he  justified,  them  he  also  glorified" 
(Rom.  viii.  30).  It  is  a  glory  susceptible  of  de- 
grees and  advances,  as  it  is  said,  "  reflecting  as  in 
a  mirror  the  glor}-  of  the  Lord,  we  are  transformed 


396  THE   PKAYEU 


into  the  same  image  from  glory  to  glory  even  as 
from  the  Lord,  the  Spirit "  (Cor.  iii.  18).  Fur- 
thermore, as  in  the  person  of  Jesus,  so  also  in  his 
people,  the  same  glory  received  under  the  partial 
concealments  of  earth  and  flesh,  will  be  revealed 
at  his  coming :  "  Then  shall  the  righteous  shine 
forth  as  the  sun  in  the  kingdom  of  their  Father." 
Finally  this  explanation  of  "the  glory"  given  to 
Christ  and  given  hy  Ilim  suits  well  with  the  result 
of  "being  perfected  into  one";  for  what  unity 
can  be  so  consummate  as  one  which  consists  in  a 
common  participation  of  the  manifested  likeness 
of  God? 

Section  2 

V.  23 

But  the  thought  of  Christ  does  not  terminate 
in  this  result.  It  passes  on  into  a  wider  sphere. 
"That  the  world  may  believe  that  thou  didst 
send  me,"  and  again,  "  That  the  world  may  know 
that  thou  didst  send  me,  and  lovedst  them  even 
as  thou  lovedst  me."  So  He  speaks  who  had 
just  said,  "  I  pray  not  for  the  world " ;  nor  does 
He  pray  for  it  directly  now,  but  for  the  Church, 
that  it  may  be  such  as  shall  produce  this  effect 
upon  the  world.  When  will  that  be  ?  Certainly 
there  is  a  discovery  in  store  which  will  terminate 
all  ignorance  and  unbelief.  "  Behold  he  cometh 
with  the  clouds,  and  every  eye  shall  see  him,  and 


IV  FOR    ALL   BELIEVERS  397 

they  which  pierced  him ;  and  all  the  tribes  of  the 
earth  shall  mourn  over  him.  Even  so,  Amen  " 
(Rev.  i.  7).  Some  expositors  read  the  words  of 
the  Prayer  in  the  light  of  that  day,  as  Calvin,  who 
thinks  that  the  Evangelist  uses  "  believe  "  in  an 
improper  sense  of  a  reprobate  world  confounded 
by  the  coming  of  the  Lord;  or  as  Godet,  who 
speaks  of  the  forced  submission  of  rebels.  They 
alleg-e  a  revealed  truth ;  but  we  do  not  read  it 
here.  Not  in  this  sense  is  Jesus  accustomed  to 
use  the  words  "believe"  and  "know."  Nor  could 
this  result  be  spoken  of  as  the  effect  of  the  action 
of  the  Church.  Neither  does  this  prospect  suit  the 
tone  of  holy  love  and  strong  desire  which  we  hear 
throughout  the  Prayer.  Truly  this  is  the  voice 
of  Him  whom  "the  Father  sent  to  be  tlie  /Savioto' 
of  the  tvorld.^''  The  woiid  is  here  regarded,  as 
often  elsewhere,  in  the  general  aspect  of  human 
life,  antecedently  to  any  final  decision  of  its  state, 
full  of  the  possibilities  of  change  that  may  be 
wrought,  and  the  potentialities  of  faith  that  may 
be  realised,  the  world  that  is  said  to  be  loved  and 
redeemed,  the  world  into  which  the  disciples  are 
sent  to  testify  and  the  Spirit  to  convict  or  per- 
suade. So  Jesus  thought  of  the  world,  and  so  his 
servants  must  think  of  it.  The  spiritual  Church 
must  ever  regard  the  world,  whether  within  Chris- 
tendom or  beyond  it,  with  the  attraction  and  desire 
which  belong  to  kindred  according  to  the  flesh. 


398  THE   PKAYER 


to  the  sense  of  common  needs  and  capacities,  and 
to  the  faith  in  a  common  redemption.  Therefore 
we  read  this  word  of  Jesus  as  asking  for  his 
Church  a  perpetual  missionary  spirit,  which  shall 
tell  upon  the  world  in  love  and  labour,  as  a  region 
from  which  its  ranks  must  be  recruited,  its  enlarge- 
ment obtained,  and  over  which,  in  whatever  de- 
gree it  may  be  possible,  Cliiistian  influence  must 
spread. 

Thanks  be  unto  Thee,  O  Saviour  of  the  world, 
that  in  thy  final  prayer  for  thine  own,  Thou  didst 
not  leave  them  contracted  and  self-centred,  but 
enlarged  in  heart  by  generous  impulses  and  benefi- 
cent aims  and  the  healthful  sense  of  a  never-ceasing 
duty  ! 

As  the  second  form  of  petition  (v.  22)  has  in 
comparison  with  the  first  a  fuller  expression  both 
of  the  endowment  of  the  Church  and  of  the  effect 
on  the  world,  the  Lord  would  seem  to  have  in  view 
two  stages,  or  at  least  two  measures,  of  attain- 
ment and  success.  Perhajps  there  are  j^eriods  of 
Christian  history  yet  to  come  which  will  supply 
the  explanation.  But  we  understand  clearly  that 
only  the  true  life  of  Christ  in  the  Church  will 
ensure  its  true  success  in  the  world,  and  that  this 
will  be  largely  in  proportion  to  the  impression  o'f 
its  unity.  Tlie  conviction  said  to  be  produced 
is  not  only  of  the  divine  mission  of  Christ,  l)ut 
of  the   divine  love  resting  on  believers.     Of  this 


IV  FOR   ALL   BELIEVERS  399 

effect  maii}^  illustrations  might  be  offered,  for 
great  is  the  power  for  conviction  which  breathes 
forth  from  an  atmosphere  of  love.  The  expression 
here  is  recalled  (Rev.  iii.  9),  where  it  is  promised 
to  the  Church  of  Philadelphia,  "  Behold,  I  will 
make  (some)  of  the  synagogue  of  Satan  to  come 
and  worship  before  thy  feet,  and  to  hnoiv  that  I 
have  loved  thee.''''  These  are  humbled  and  con- 
vinced penitents  from  among  the  bitter  opponents 
of  the  truth ;  and  from  time  to  time  many  like 
submissions  have  occurred.  For  the  still  rebel- 
lious world  another  kind  of  conviction  is  in  store 
in  the  day  of  "  destruction  from  the  presence  of 
the  Lord,  when  he  shall  come  to  be  glorified  in 
his  saints,  and  to  be  marvelled  at  in  them  that 
believe"  (2  Thess.  i.  20). 

Not  in  the  way  of  exposition,  but  in  recognition 
of  inevitable  thoughts,  some  additional  observations 
are  required.  The  prayer,  it  may  be  said,  has 
not  been  fulfilled.  Who  can  hear  "  that  they  all 
may  be  one,"  without  remembering  "our  unhappy 
divisions "  ;  or,  "  that  the  world  may  believe," 
without  thinking  of  unconverted  millions?  These 
are  facts  to  be  recognised  and  considered  in  rela- 
tion to  these  desires  of  the  Lord. 

It  must  be  observed  (1)  that  the  prayer  is  not 
a  prophecy ;  (2)  that  it  supposes  the  free  action 
of  the  human  will ;  (3)  that  its  urgent  language 
implies    the    knowledge    of   subjective   tendencies 


400  THE   PRAYER 


working  against  its  fulfilment.  It  is  true,  also, 
that  the  unity  explicitly  asked  is  not  that  of  the 
Church  as  a  society,  but  the.  spiritual  unity  of 
believers  within  it,  "  that  they  may  be  one  in  us  "  ; 
and  that  is  a  reality  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  who 
"knoweth  them  that  are  his,"  and  will  become  a 
fact  in  the  final  stage  of  their  history.  But  mean- 
time this  undiscovered,  unexpressed,  and  adjourned 
unity  cannot  fulfil  the  prayer.  The  unity  of  the 
visible  Church  is  involved,  as  being  the  institution 
of  Christ  Himself,  in  which  the  life  of  his  people 
is  to  be  generated,  matured,  and  expressed,  an  in- 
stitution now  originated  in  the  commission  of  the 
very  men  who  are  listening  to  the  Prayer. 

In  Scripture  this  unity  is  prominent  as  repre- 
sented by  one  Temple  and  House  of  the  living 
God,  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth  ;  one  bod}', 
compact  and  knit  together ;  one  body  as  well  as 
one  Spirit,  in  which  there  are  to  be  "no  divisions," 
in  which  men  are  not  only  "with  one  mind," 
but  "  with  one  mouth  to  glorify  God,"  in  which 
those  who  "have  been  bajjtised  into  Christ  have 
put  on  Christ "  ;  so  that  "  there  is  neither  Greek 
nor  Jew,  there  is  neither  bond  nor  free,  there  is 
neither  male  nor  female,  for  all  are  one  in  Christ 
Jesus." 

Certainly  this  visible  unity  of  the  Church  was 
one  great  element  in  its  conquering  power.  There 
was  somethinof  unaccountable  and  attractive  in  a 


FOR   ALL   BELIEVERS  401 


society  which  silently  appeared  here,  there,  and 
everywhere,  throughout  the  empire  and  beyond  it; 
which,  without  central  authority  or  administrative 
system,  or  written  code,  or  obvious  bonds  of  union, 
was  yet  one  and  the  same.     Alike  in  Rome  and 
provincial  towns,  in  Africa  and  Britain,  in  Spain 
and   Pontus,   in   the    most    distant    and    diverse 
localities,  it  was  still  not  many  churches,  but  one, 
"  increasing  with  the  increase  of  God."     This  unity 
told   upon   the    world,   as   is   presupposed  in  the 
language    of   the    Prayer.       We    turn    from    that 
spectacle  to  the  Church  as  it  is.     How  do  we  see 
it  now?     Large  masses  of  Christendom  detached 
from  one  another,  the  effect  of  a  usurpation  which 
enforced    as    terms    of    communion    unjustifiable 
claims  weighted   with   grave    corruptions    of   the 
truth ;  and  then,  as  a  further  consequence,  a  self- 
willed  spirit  of  separatism,  working  on  to  an  ever- 
increasing  disintegration  ;  conflicting  interests  and 
rivalries  within  the  Christian  nations,  and  com- 
plicated embarrassments  to  the   missionary  work 
among   the   heathen.      The    relation    of   the   two 
desires,  "that  they  may  be  one,"  and  "that  the 
world  may  believe,"  is  illustrated  in  our  sight  by 
the  very  opposite  experience. 

For   the   present,   practical    duty   seems    to   lie 

(1)  in  adhering  to  the  principle  of  unity  on  its 

primitive   lines   as   against   both    the    tendencies 

which  have  wrought  to  destroy  it ;  (2)  in  cultiva- 

2  B 


402  THE   PRAYER 


tion  of  the  temper  of  forbearance,  sympathy,  and 
love,  and  a  living  sense  of  the  higher  unity  in 
Christ ;  (3)  in  seeking  and  welcoming  communion 
where  it  can  be  had,  with  those  in  any  part  of  the 
great  Christian  family  in  whom  we  recognise  the 
confession  of  the  common  faith  and  the  spirit  of 
the  common  Lord ;  and  lastly,  in  watchful  prayer 
for  visible  and  manifest  reunion  which,  it  may 
be  through  trials  and  sifting  processes,  we  have 
reason  to  expect  at  last. 

"  O  God,  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  our  only 
Saviour,  the  Prince  of  Peace;  Give  us  grace  seriously  to  lay 
to  heart  the  great  danger  we  are  in  by  our  unhappy  divisions. 
Take  away  all  hatred  and  prejudice,  and  whatsoever  else  may 
hinder  us  from  godly  union  and  concord :  that  as  there  is 
but  one  Body,  and  one  Spirit,  and  one  hope  of  our  calling, 
one  Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism,  one  God  and  Father  of  us 
all,  so  we  may  henceforth  be  all  of  one  heart,  and  of  one  soul, 
united  in  one  holy  bond  of  truth  and  peace,  of  faith  and 
charity,  and  may  with  one  mind  and  one  mouth  glorify*thee, 
through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord."  Amen.  —  (Accession  Ser- 
vice.) 


Section  .3 
V.  24 

The  Prayer  for  the  Church  has  been  moving 
onwards  through  continuance  in  the  Name,  pres- 
ervation from  the  evil,  sanctification  in  the  truth, 
unity  in  the  Spirit,  conquests  in  the  world ;  and 


FOR   ALL   BELIEVERS  403 


now,  by  a  sudden  ascent,  it  passes  from  the  present 
to  the  future,  from  earth  to  heaven, 

"Father  (as  for),  that  which  thou  hast  given  me,  T  will 
that  where  I  am,  they  also  may  be  with  me :  tiiat  they  may 
behold  my  glory  which  thou  hast  given  me  ;  for  thou  lovedst 
me  before  the  foundation  of  the  world"  (v.  24). 

The  Speaker's  voice  has  changed.     It  takes  a 
tone  of  greater  certainty  and  majesty,  as  if  He  had 
entered  the  heaven  to  which   He   lifts  his  eyes. 
His  thoughts  have  passed  from  the  region  of  the 
contingent  and  the  stage  of  conditions  and  prepa- 
rations.    He  sees  that  which  has  been  given  Him 
as  entirely  and  finally  his  own,  his  people  end- 
ing  their   course   on  earth,  and   ready  for   their 
destiny  in  heaven.     The   language  changes  with 
the  changed  position,  and  "  Father,  I  will,"  takes 
the  place  of  "I  pray  for  them."     Here,  as  before 
(in   V.   2),  the  people  of  his  possession  are  first 
spoken  of  in  their  totality,  "  tiiat  which  thou  hast 
given  me,"  then  in  their  personality  as  beholders 
of  his  glory.     In  the  twofold  character  of  collec- 
tive and  individual  life,  the  perfect  state  is  found. 
Its  foundation  lies  in  the  gift  of  God.     Those  who 
come  to  Him  are  given  of  the  Father,  and  in  his 
sight  they  are  still  the  same  when  He  takes  them 
into  glory.     In  the  blessedness  now  claimed  for 
them  there  are  two  elements,  both  consisting  in 
their  relation  to  their  Lord,  and  forming  the  con- 
summation   of    connexion    with    Him :     1.    "  That 


404  THE   PRAYER 


where  I  am  they  also  may  be  with  me."  2.  "  That 
they  may  behold  my  glory." 

Companionship  and  life  together  in  a  common 
home  are  spoken  of  as  the  desire  of  his  soul.  It 
is  a  "joy  that  is  .-et  before  Him,"  as  well  as  hap- 
piness for  those  who  are  received.  Already  we 
have  seen  how  that  thought  dwelt  on  the  mind  of 
Jesus,  for  it  was  the  first  to  occur  in  the  opening  of 
the  Discourse.  "I  come  again,"  He  had  said,  "and 
receive  you  to  myself,  that  where  I  am,  there  ye 
may  be  also."  It  is  the  first  promise  and  the  last ; 
then  addressed  to  men,  now  sealed  before  God. 
How  sure  was  it  then  made  to  the  disciples  !  How 
sure  is  it  still  for  ourselves  ! 

Nor  should  it  escape  observation  that  this  recur- 
rence of  the  same  promise  and  in  like  words, 
creating  a  correspondence  of  the  end  with  the 
beginning,  imparts  unity  and  completeness  to  all 
that  has  intervened.  It  is  one  note  of  the  latent 
method  which  has  ruled  the  course  of  these  com- 
munications. 

But  the  promise  is  enlarged.  At  first  it  was 
only  of  reception  and  companionship  in  the 
Father's  house.  It  is  now  augmented  and  illu- 
minated by  a  vision  of  glory :  "  That  they  may 
behold  my  glory  which  thou  hast  given  me  y  for 
thou  lovedst  me  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world."  This  is  the  glory  with  which  the  human 
nature  of   Christ  is  invested  by  manifested  con- 


IV  FOR   ALL    BELIEVERS  405 

junction  with  his  Divinity.  In  the  days  of  his 
flesh  that  conjunction  with  the  Godhead  was 
veiled  from  view,  but  was  felt  in  the  glory  of  grace 
and  truth  and  also  in  significant  works.  It  is 
manifested  in  heaven  by  a  glorv  for  which  words 
and  ideas  fail  us.  As  communicated  to  the  human 
nature,  it  is  bestowed  ("  the  glory  that  thou  hast 
given  me  "),  but  in  itself  it  belongs  to  the  essence 
of  Godhead,  and  is  called  "  my  glory,"  and  is 
described  before  (v.  5)  as  that  "which  I  had  with 
thee  before  the  world  was,"  and  here  again  is 
thrown  back  into  eternity  by  the  added  clause, 
"  For  thou  lovedst  me  before  the  foundation  of 
the  world."  The  clause  does  not  merely  amplify 
—  it  explains ;  for  without  it  the  previous  words 
might  have  left  the  single  thought  of  bestowal 
and  origination  in  time.  As  it  is,  the  world,  its 
foundation,  and  all  that  has  happened  in  it,  and 
all  that  follows  and  will  follow  from  what  has 
happened,  are  seen  on  the  background  of  the 
Divine  infinity  and  eternity.  Thus  the  last  words 
of  prayer  fitly  crown  the  holy  communications  of 
these  momentous  hours. 

In  taking  to  ourselves  the  joy  of  this  promise, 
a  question  arises  as  to  when  and  where  we  are  to 
expect  the  fulfilment  of  the  blessed  hope.  Is  it 
at  the  time  of  departure  and  in  the  disembodied 
state?  St.  Paul  taught,  and  the  first  Christians 
thought,  that  to  depart  was  to  be  with  Christ,  and 


406  THE    PRAVER 


to  be  absent  from  the  body  was  to  be  present  with 
the  Lord.  That  is  enough  for  us  to  know  of  that 
unexphiined  stage  of  existence,  and  we  too  may 
say  with  full  assurance,  "  It  is  far  better."  Yet  is 
it  only  an  interval,  and  a  life  not  yet  made  perfect, 
on  the  margin  of  the  world  which  is  and  the  world 
which  is  to  be.  Saints  at  rest  as  well  as  saints  on 
earth  are  "  looking  for  that  blessed  hope  and  the 
glorious  appearing  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ."  Then  will  they  be  ever  with  the  Lord  in 
quite  another  sense  than  that  in  which  they  have 
been  conscious  of  his  presence  befoie.  Having 
"  the  perfect  consummation  and  bliss  both  in  body 
and  soul  in  his  eternal  and  everlasting  glory." 
Then  will  be  fulfilled  the  promise  that  "  where  I 
am,  they  also  shall  be  Avith  me,  and  behold  my 
glory  which  thou  hast  given  me."  And  that  be- 
holding will  be  a  partaking,  and  will  complete  the 
change  which  the  beholding  by  faith  had  begun. 
So  in  words  of  serene  certainty  the  Evangelist  in 
his  Epistle  interprets  and  appropriates  the  promise 
which  he  has  here  recorded,  "  Beloved,  now  are 
we  children  of  God,  and  it  is  not  3'et  made  mani- 
fest what  we  shall  be,  but  we  know  that  if  he 
shall  be  made  manifest,  we  shall  be  like  him ;  for 
we  shall  see  him  as  he  is  "  (1  John  iii.  2).  Wlio 
will  not  answer  Amen  ? 

"  As  for  me,  I  will  behold  thy  presence  in  righteousness: 
I  shall  be  satisfied,  when  I  awake,  with  thy  likeness." 

Ps.  xvii.  15. 


THE   SEQUEL  407 


CHAPTER     V 

THE   SEQUEL 
V.  25,  26 

The  last  request  has  been  made,  and  the  Prayer 
is  done.  Yet  something  remains  to  be  said ;  for 
the  thoughts  of  the  Speaker  must  now  revert  to 
the  actual  situation,  and  the  men  beside  llim, 
whom  He  leaves  as  his  agents  in  it.  In  words 
compressed,  pregnant,  and  precise,  He  lays  the 
case  before  his  Father. 

"O  righteous  Father,  the  world  knew  thee  not,  but  I 
knew  thee ;  and  these  knew  that  thou  didst  send  me :  and 
I  made  known  to  them  thy  name,  and  will  make  it  known, 
that  the  love  wherewith  thou  lovedst  me  may  be  in  them, 
and  I  in  them." 

In  the  address  "Righteous  Father,"  we  recog- 
nise the  introductory  word  of  a  new  departure  of 
thought.  As  in  v.  11,  ''Holy  Father"  oi^ened  the 
appeal  for  the  holiness  of  the  disciples  and  the 
Church;  so  here  "Righteous  Father"  is  an  invoca- 
tion of  the  character  in  which  the  world  ought  to 
have  known  God,  in  which  it  had  not  known  Him, 


408  THE   PRAYER 


yea,  had  refused  to  know  Him.  Righteousness, 
justice,  the  moral  attributes,  which  by  the  endow- 
ment of  natural  conscience  man  is  qualified  to 
recognise,  these  should  have  been  to  the  world  the 
fundamental  idea  of  God,  one  that  would  have 
placed  mankind  in  the  relation  of  duty,  and  would 
have  prepared  for  further  knowledge.  It  had 
been  in  respect  of  this  very  attribute,  and  indeed 
on  account  of  it,  that  the  world  "  did  not  like  to 
retain  God  in  its  knowledge,"  as  St.  Paul  sets 
forth  in  the  first  chapter  of  liis  Epistle  to  the 
Romans.  In  abrupt  words,  evincing  strong  emo- 
tion, the  Lord  sums  up  this  condition  of  mankind.^ 
Personal  observation  and  painful  experience  of 
the  fact  accentuate  his  words. 

But  for  what  purpose  does  He  thus  appeal  to 
the  righteous  Father?  Some  expositors,  as  Angus- 
tin  and  Calvin  and  Luther,  find  in  the  epithet 
"righteous"  an  intimation  of  the  justice  which 
consigns  to  wrath  those  that  know  not  God,  illus- 
trating by  contrast  the  happiness  assigned  to  be- 
lievers, in  agreement  with  the    account   of  "  the 

1  Literally,  "  0  righteous  Father  —  and  the  world  knew  thee 
not,"  etc.  The  Revisers  omit  this  first  "and,"  taking  no 
notice  of  its  presence.  Certainly  it  is  hard  to  render.  By 
some  expositors  (as  Meyer)  it  is  taken  as  meaning  "and  yet  " 
—  as  if  it  intended  "  righteous  thou  art,  and  yet  the  world  ku6w 
thee  not  "  ;  by  others  (as  Westcott)  it  is  ranged  with  the  fol- 
lowing ' '  and "  as  so  co-ordinating  the  opposite  states  of  the 
world  and  the  disciples ;  but  this  gives  too  parenthetic  a  char- 
acter to  the  fundamental  words,  "  Eut  I  have  known  thee." 


THE   SEQUEL  409 


righteous  judgment  of  God"  given  by  St.  Paul 
in  2  Tliess.  i.  5-9.  But  these  ideas  are  not  ex- 
pressed in  tliis  brief  statement,  and  we  liave  no 
right  to  read  them  into  it ;  indeed,  they  woukl  be 
out  of  phxce.  This  sequel  to  the  Prayer  does  not 
diverge  to  anticipate  judgment  or  deal  with  men's 
deserts.  It  must  be  taken  as  in  line  with  previous 
thoughts.  Those  have  been  occupied  with  the 
mission  of  Christ  to  the  world,  the  knowledge  of 
God  which  is  life  eternal,  and  the  spiritual  history 
of  those  who  receive  it ;  and  the  occasion  is  that 
of  leaving  the  men  there  present  to  be  witnesses 
and  messengers  of  this  knowledge  to  the  world. 
This  is  the  case  now  trustingly  laid  before  the 
righteous  Father. 

The  world  has  not  known  Him.  It  presents 
a  scene  of  spiritual  alienation  and  gloom.  But 
there  was  in  the  world  One  who  had  known  Him, 
who  could  say  in  the  midst  of  those  who  most 
counted  that  they  knew  God,  "  Ye  say  that  he  is 
your  God ;  and  ye  have  not  known  him,  but  I 
know  him"  (viii.  55).  He  had  come  to  give  this 
knowledge  to  those  who  had  it  not;  and  this  He 
will  do  first  by  his  own  ministry,  and  after  that, 
b}'  the  ministry  of  those  who  first  receive  Him. 
The  chosen  men  are  there  present,  listening  to  his 
words  as  men  listen  to  that  which  is  spoken  of 
themselves.  "  These,"  He  sa3^s,  "  have  believed 
that  thou   didst  send  me."     That  belief  was   the 


410  THE   PRAYER 


turning-point,  and  qualified  them  for  the  fuller 
revelations.  Therefore  lie  continues,  "I  have 
made  known  to  them  thy  name."  But  what  has 
been  done  hitherto  is  not  all;  "And  I  will  make 
it  known."  There  is  then  more  to  be  told ;  as 
had  been  already  said  in  tlie  Discourse  (xvi.  12, 
13)  ;  and  between  these  two  stages  of  instruction 
the  teaching  of  this  evening  holds  the  central 
place.  In  the  second  stage,  as  well  as  in  the  first, 
the  Teacher  is  the  Lord  Himself.  In  his  j^ast 
manifestation  He  has  declared  the  Father's  name, 
and  now  in  tliese  closing  words  with  a  more  ex- 
plicit revelation.  But  the  Resurrection  comes, 
and  the  day  of  Pentecost.  Then  will  the  disci- 
ples be  raised  to  a  higher  level  of  intelligence,  and 
the  full  disclosures  will  be  made.  By  the  com- 
munications of  the  foity  days  and  by  an  illumina- 
tion of  the  Spirit,  sudden  and  yet  progressive,  the 
Lord  will  lead  his  own  into  the  perfect  knowledge 
of  the  Name.  What  has  been  spoken  this  evening 
has  been  accompanied  hy  the  promise,  "In  that 
day  ye  shall  know  that  I  am  in  the  Father,  and 
ye  in  me,  and  I  in  you."  Then  will  come  "the 
full  assurance  of  understanding  to  know  the  mj^s- 
tery  of  God,  even  Christ  in  whom  are  hid  all  the 
treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge  "  (Col.  ii.  2). 
And  it  will  be  more  than  knowledge.  It  will 
have  the  result  here  described,  "  That  the  love 
wherewith  thou  lovedst  me  may  be  in  them."    Very 


THE    SEQUEL  411 


specially  and  definitely  for  the  disciples  whom  He 
sends  into  the  world  does  Jesus  desire  and  antici- 
pate this  experience  of  love.  They  will  need  this 
inward  support,  and  they  shall  have  it.  The  love 
which  dwelt  in  Him  for  his  mission  shall  dwell  in 
them  for  theirs. 

Yet  is  there  a  further  word,  the  last  to  be 
spoken  now.  So  short  it  is,  that  it  sounds  almost 
abrupt,  certainly  unlike  to  human  perorations. 
Yet  this  word,  "  Aticl  I  in  them,^^  is  the  most  apt 
and  eloquent  of  conclusions.  It  leaves  on  the 
mind,  as  the  last  thought  of  all,  that  of  the  living 
personal  relation  of  Christ  "with  his  servants,  most 
inward,  not  only  with  them  (Matt,  xxviii.  20),  but 
in  them ;  still  enduring  after  his  departure  from 
sight,  as  the  power  of  the  apostolic  work,  and  as  the 
secret  of  the  Christian  life.  It  is  the  fullest  of  all 
promises,  and  we  ask  no  more.  For  the  disciples 
whom  He  leaves,  and  for  all  who  believe  through 
their  word,  not  only  do  his  name  and  memor}^  his 
word  and  sacraments,  his  grace  and  gifts  remain, 
but  He  Himself  lives  on,  present  and  acting  still. 

AMEN   AND   AMEN. 


Discourse  and  Prayer  are  ended,  and  we  ask. 
With  what  effect?  We  need  not  ask  that  ques- 
tion with  regard  to  their  effects  as  written  records, 
as  part,  a  most  sacred  part,  of  Holy  Scripture,  for 


412  THE   PRAYER 


we,  as  readers,  have  felt  their  effects,  and  so  have 
all  the  Christian  generations.  But  perhaps  some 
fifty  years  elapsed  before  they  were  written  in 
the  form  in  which  we  read  them,  as  part  of  the 
Gospel  which,  towards  the  close  of  life,  St.  John 
bequeathed  to  the  Church.  Was  it  only  then  that 
the  effect  of  these  words  commenced  ?  What 
office  did  they  fulfil  in  that  half  century  which, 
on  this  supposition,  elapsed  between  this  speaking 
and  that  writing?     Could  these  sfreat  and  fruitful 

o  to 

ideas,  or  rather,  I  will  say,  this  majestic  scheme 
of  truth,  lie  dormant  and  inoperative  in  the 
minds  of  the  hearers  ?  Could  these  outpourings 
of  divine  affection  pass  from  them, 

"  Like  the  lost  ventures  of  the  heart 
Which  send  no  answer  back  again  "  ? 

We  are  sure  the  answer  came,  and  that  there 
\yas  response  to  these  teachings,  first,  in  the  minds 
of  the  hearers,  and  then  in  the  mind  of  the 
churches  which  they  formed.  Eleven  chosen  wit- 
nesses thus  solemnly  instructed,  to  the  end  that 
they  might  become  instructors,  did  not  let  these 
precious  deposits  of  truth  evaporate  from  their 
minds,  nor  leave  them  to  only  one  of  their  number, 
to  be  drawn  forth  from  the  stores  of  memory  in 
his  latest  age.  It  is  true  that  we  have  no  informa- 
tion. These  men  were  not  writers.  The  treatise 
which  follows  the  Gospel  is  a  history  of  the  acts 


THE   SEQUEL  413 


of  Apostles.  It  belongs  to  the  outward  life  and 
the  progress  of  the  Word  in  the  world,  and  the 
discourses  given  are  generally  to  those  who  are 
not  yet  Christians.  For  us,  during  more  than 
twenty  years,  the  voices  within  the  house  of  God 
are  nearly  silent.  We  hear  the  testimonies  that 
issue  from  it,  so  clear  and  strong  in  all  the  essen- 
tials of  the  faith ;  but  we  do  not  learn  how  these 
doctrines  were  appropriated  in  experience  and 
developed  in  reflection ;  we  do  not  dwell  in  the 
interior  atmosphere  of  thought.  But  the  time 
comes  when  we  enter  the  house  with  the  apostolic 
letters,  and  learn  the  language  which  is  under- 
stood within.  St.  Paul's  special  illumination  and 
dialectic  power  bring  fresh  precision  and  expansion 
to  the  truths  which  he  treats,  but  essentiall}^  they 
are  truths  which  he  shares  with  those  whom  he 
instructs,  and  are  the  same  which  constitute  the 
teaching  of  the  later  Epistles  of  St.  Peter  and  St. 
John.  It  is  impossible  to  disconnect  the  Chris- 
tian consciousness,  as  we  thus  know  it,  from  the 
divine  communications  which  have  so  distinctly 
prepared  it.  Advancing  through  the  course  of 
thought  along  which  they  have  led  us,  we  have 
noted,  from  time  to  time,  the  responsive  voices 
which  return  to  us  from  the  apostolic  writings. 
It  would  be  an  eas}"  task,  but  a  long  one,  to  shew 
this  correspondence  fully.  I  speak  not  of  the 
broad  facts   of  the  Faith,  but  of  those  apprehen- 


414  THE   PRAYER 


sions  and  applications  of  them  which  constitute 
the  cast  and  habit  of  Christian  thought.  There, 
as  here,  the  faith  in  God  the  Father  and  in  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord  appears  in  the  same  distinction, 
the  same  unity,  and  the  same  perfect  harmony. 
The  self-revelations  of  Christ  made  here  are  fully 
reflected  there.  The  relations  of  believers  with 
Christ,  and  in  Christ  with  God,  are  there  as  here 
presented  as  the  sources  and  supplies  of  Christian 
life.  The  work  of  the  Spirit  as  Teacher  and  Para- 
clete promised  in  these  discourses  is  everywhere 
in  those  writings  asserted  or  assumed  as  a  present 
and  experienced  fact.  Besides  these  deeper  mys- 
teries,—  the  principles  of  life  and  fruitfulness,  of 
love  and  obedience,  of  peace  and  victory  in  Christ, 
are  all  there  what  they  are  here ;  and  so  it  is, 
also,  with  the  last  things, — the  hope  of  his 
coming,  and  of  being  where  He  is,  and  of  the 
beatific  vision  of  his  glory. 

But  with  all  this  similarity  there  is  a  conspic- 
uous difference.  We  see  that  in  the  apostolic 
teaching-  and  the  coexistent  mind  of  the  Church 
another  line  of  doctrine  has  entered  into  com- 
bination with  these  truths.  It  was  a  needful  and 
natural  combination  ;  for  the  doctrine  of  the  cross, 
with  all  that  it  implies  and  achieves,  is  a  pre- 
requisite for  the  due  apprehension  and  assimila- 
tion of  all  that  lias  been  taught.  That  doctrine 
lies  as   close  to  those  which  have  been  here  de- 


V  THE   SEQUEL  415 

livered  as  the  Passion  itself  follows  on  their 
delivery.  Rather,  they  are  historically  incorpo- 
rated into  the  Passion,  and  nnited  with  the  events 
which  must  become  fact  before  they  can  become 
doctrine.  After  the  traitor  has  been  sent  forth 
with,  "  What  thou  art  doing,  do  quickly,"  and  in 
the  suppressed  consciousness  of  all  that  is  i>re- 
paring  and  of  all  that  will  ensue,  the  teaching  of 
this  evening  has  been  given. ^ 

Then,  without  hesitation  or  delay,  "  when 
Jesus  had  spoken  these  words,  he  went  forth  with 
his  disciples  over  the  brook  Kedron,  where  was 
a  garden,  into  the  which  he  entered  with  his 
disciples." 

The  Agony,  the  Betrayal,  Trial,  Condemnation, 
Crucifixion,  Death,  Resurrection,  follow.  The 
crisis  of  human  history  is  reached,  and  the  re- 
demption of  the  world  is  wrought. 

Comparing  the  commendatory  Prayer  which  we 
have  here  attended  with  the  Prayer  in  Gethsemane, 
and  the  tranquil  converse  to  which  we  have 
listened  with  the  terrible  scenes  which  follow,  we 

1  It  was  with  a  true  feeling  of  relation  between  the  several 
parts  of  the  Gospel  records  that  in  the  Revised  Lectionary 
these  five  chapters  were  appointed  to  be  read  as  the  Second 
Lessons  on  the  days  in  Holy  Week  between  Pahn  Sunday  and 
Good  Friday.  The  Chnroh  thus  passes  directly  from  the  Upper 
Room  to  Gethsemane  and  Calvary:  the  discourses  are  incor- 
porated with  the  rassi(m  ;  and  the  Central  Teaching  of  Jesus 
Christ  witli  the  central  fact  of  his  history. 


416  THE   TRAYER 


feel  the  marvel  and  the  majesty  of  that  self- 
suppression  which  has  secured  these  liours  of 
sacred  calm  for  the  words  of  foreseeing  love,  and 
again  we  own  the  truth  of  the  opening  words :  — 

"  When  Jesus  knew  that  his  hour  was  come  that  he  should 
depart  out  of  this  world  unto  the  Father,  having  loved  his 
own,  which  were  in  the  world, 

HE    LOVED    THEM    UNTO    THE    END." 


NEJF  THEOLOGICAL    WOBKS. 

THE  SOTERIOLOGY  OF 

THE  NEW  TESTAMENT. 

BY 

WILLIAM   PORCHER   DuBOSE,    M.A.,  S.T.D., 

Professor  of  Exegesis  in  (he  University  of  the  South. 
12nio.      $1.50. 

This  work  is  a  re-examination  of  the  Christian  doctrine  of 
Salvation  in  the  light  of  the  facts  of  human  nature  and  of  the 
teaching  of  the  New  Testament. 

In  its  general  scope  it  deals  with  (i)  the  nature  and  mean- 
ing of  "  Salvation,"  (2)  the  work  of  Salvation  as  actually 
accomplished  for  humanity  by  the  Son  of  Man,  and  (3)  the 
means  of  Salvation  in  the  positive  institutions  of  the  Gospel. 


.  .  .  The  Church  owes  a  deep  debt  of  gratitude  to  Dr.  DuBose 
for  bringing  out  into  clear  light  the  New  Testament  meaning  of  the 
word  [salvation].  —  Its  devout  spiritual  tone  and  earnestness  will 
lead  many  readers  to  more  honest  and  real  thoughts  of  the  meaning 
of  salvation,  whilst  its  original  and  fresh  treatment  of  certain  aspects 
of  great  theological  mysteries  will  stimulate  thought.  .  .  .  The 
spirit  in  which  Dr.  DuBose  has  undertaken  his  task  cannot  be  im- 
proved upon.  .  .  .  The  style  and  expression  also  are  alike  admi- 
rable.—  Churchman. 

It  is  a  great  satisfaction  to  take  up  a  thoroughly-made  book  like 
this,  with  the  entire  plan  laid  out,  and  every  part  complete  and 
fitted  to  its  place.  .  .  .  lie  takes  hold  of  his  subject  with  a  firm, 
manly  grasp,  and  discusses  it  vigorously.  .  .  .  We  find  Dr.  DuBose 
eminently  suggestive  ;  a  strong,  intelligent,  and  honest  reasoner, 
who  grapples  manfully  with  the  difficulties  of  the  subject,  and  is 
always  to  be  read  both  with  respectful  attention  and  with  profit. — 
Independent. 

The  work  is  scholarly,  clear,  and  able.  —  Boston  Traveller, 


MACMILLAN   &   CO., 

112   FOURTH   AVENUE,    NEW    YORK. 


Just  Published.     i2mo.     $1.75. 


Rev.  Professor  H.  E.  Ryle. 

The  Canon  of  the  Old  Testament.  An  P:ssay  on  the 
Growth  and  Formation  of  the  Hebrew  Canon  of  Scrip- 
ture. By  H.  E.  Rylp:,  M.A.,  Hulsean  Professor  of  Divin- 
ity, Cambridge.     12  mo.     $1.75. 

"  This  volume  is  remarkable  in  two  ways.  It  is  written  by  one  of  the 
new  men  at  Caml^ridge  ( England j,  one  of  the  divines  who  have  been 
trained  under  Bishop  Westcott  and  Dr.  Hort,  and  who  is  full  of  the 
reverent  spirit  with  which  the  Bible  is  now  critically  studied  by  leading 
English  scholars. 

"  The  other  point  of  note  is,  that  conclusions  of  critical  scholarship 
are  here  accepted,  and  freely  applied  to  the  explanation  of  the  Scriptures 
and  the  determination  of  the  way  in  which  these  writings  were  gradu- 
ally put  together  and  made  to  form  the  Hebrew  Canon  of  Scripture.  .  .  . 

"  We  cannot  too  highly  praise  Professor  Kyle's  courage  in  writing  this 
book  or  his  serious  and  candid  and  honest  purpose  in  keeping,  as  far 
as  possible,  out  of  the  range  of  speculations  and  dealing  with  plain 
matters  of  scholarship  and  of  fact. 

"  He  has  not  published  a  mass  of  undigested  materials,  but  has 
brought  them  together  and  digested  them  so  thoroughly  that  any  candid 
mind  can  use  his  work  and  follow  him  in  his  efforts  to  trace  the  gradual 
growth  and  the  formation  of  the  Hebrew  Canon  of  Scripture. 

"It  is  an  immense  gain  to  have  this  work  done  in  a  popular  form, 
not  by  a  radical  scholar,  whose  aim  is  mainly  critical  and  destructive, 
but  by  a  man  who  is  thoroughly  reverent  in  his  spirit  and  candid  and 
honest  in  his  scholarship. 

"This  is  the  first  popular  and  satisfactory  book  on  the  Old  Testament 
which  can  be  put  into  the  hands  of  an  intelligent  layman,  with  the 
satisfaction  that  it  will  lead  him,  not  to  set  aside  the  Bible  as  a  book 
that  has  no  message  for  him,  but  to  deeper  and  more  profound  respect 
for  its  contents,  and  to  a  desire  to  go  far  more  thoroughly  into  such 
knowledge  of  the  truth  as  these  sacred  writings  show  the  Hebrew 
people  to  have  possessed. 

"  It  is  a  notable  day  when  English  biblical  scholarship  produces  a 
book  of  this  kind. 

"  It  is  right  to  add  that,  while  it  is  within  the  reach  of  the  ordinary 
man,  it  is  equipped  with  scholarly  apparatus  which  will  satisfy  the 
demands  of  our  ablest  scholars."  —  Sunday  Herald,  Boston. 


MACMILLAN   &   CO., 

112  FOURTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK. 


iVEir   THEOLOGICAL   BOOA'S.  3 

ALEXANDER. —The  Leading  Ideas  of  the  Gospels. 
By  the  Right  Rev.  William  Ai  kxander,  D.n.,  Bisliop  of 
Derry  and  Raphoe.  New  Edition,  revised  and  enlarged, 
pp.  xxxii,  ^;^2.     Crown  Svo.     ^1.75. 

The  Bishop  of  Derry  explains  in  the  Preface  to  this  new  edition  that 
"  this  volume,  in  its  present  shape,  is  rather  a  new  book  than  a  new- 
edition.  ...  In  addition  to  revision  of  the  original  matter,  several 
important  additions  have  been  made:  (i)  The  conception  of  Leading 
Ideas  in  the  Gospels  has  been  carefully  guarded,  and  discriminated 
from  the  extravagant  application  of  it  which  might  make  the  evange- 
lists appear  to  be  romantic  idealogists;  {2)  the  study  of  St.  Luke's 
Tiospel  has  been  specially  enlarged,  and  a  principle  of  division  adopted 
(from  the  circumstances  of  his  life;  from  his  special  training;  from  his 
natural  endowments')  which  seems  adapted  to  viealing  with  his  Leading 
Ideas.  The  subject  of  St.  Luke's  alleged  Lbionitism  has  also  been  care- 
fully examined;  the  most  sacred  portion  of  a  narrative  where  all  is  sacred 
—  the  record  of  the  Passion  —  has  been  elucidated  by  the  Leading  Ideas 
of  the  evangelist.    .\  synopsis  has  been  prefixed,  and  an  index  appended." 

"  The  work  in  this  issue  has  been  so  altered  in  revis.il  and  so  greatly 
enlargotl  as  to  be  a  now  book,  in  which  the  lioctrine  formerly  sot  fortli  in  a 
series  of  sermons  has  been  developed  into  a  woll-ro.\sonod  theological 
treatise."  —  >Si\'Afw,i//. 

MILLIGAN.  —  The  Ascension  and  Heavenly  Priest- 
hood of  our  Lord.  By  Wu  liam  IMillioan.  IXD.,  Pro- 
fessor of  Divinity  and  Biblical  Criticism  in  the  University 
of  Aberdeen.     i2mo.     ^^.25. 

MILLIGAN,  —  Lectures  on  the  Apocalypse.  By  Wil- 
liam MiLiiGAX,  n.n.,  rrofcssor  of  Pivinity  and  Biblical 
Criticism  in  the  University  of  Aberdeen,     umo.     i^i.50. 


The  Religious  Systems  of  the  World.  A  Contribution  to 
the  Study  of  Comparative  Religion.  Svo.  Cloth.  ;?4.50. 
Among  the  fifty-four  contributors  are  Canon  Rawun- 
SON,  Sir  Alfrku  Lvall,  Brof.  T.  \V.  Rhvs-1)avii>s,  Rev.  Sir 
S.  W,  Cox.  Bart.,  M..\.,  C.  1'.  Ki  arv.  C.  W.  Lfitxkr, 
LL.D.,  Oscar  Browning,  M..\..  Canon  SHrrn.FAvoRTH, 
J.  Ai.LANsox  PicroN,  M..\.,  yi.V.,  Rev.  n.win  Fotherinc- 
HAM,  Sir  Frki\  Pollock,  Frkokric  Harrison,  etc. 

"  It  is  an  interesting  and  valuable  volunu>  l)Oth  lor  the  theoloi^ian  and  the 
general  reader.  It  is  almost  an  encyclopcvdia  of  the  religions  ot  the  world." 
—  Christian  i  '///i'//. 

MACMILLAN    &    CO., 

112    LOrKlll    .WliNUL,    NKW    YORK. 


4  NEW   THEOLOGICAL  BOOKS. 

Forty  Years  in  a  Moorland  Parish.     Reminiscences  and 

Researches  in  Danby-in-Cleveland.  By  Rev.  J.  C.  Atkinson,  D.C.L., 
Incumbent  of  the  Parish.     Extra  crown  8vo.     33.25. 

"  In  an  uncommon  degree  original  and  free  from  fads ;  the  outcome  of 
first-hand  observation  and  investigation,  equally  acute,  patient,  instructed, 
and  sympathetic."  —  Athenceum. 

"  The  general  reader  will  find  much  to  interest  and  entertain  him  in  the 
book.  .  .  .  Those  who  are  fond  of  folklore  will  meet  with  an  abundant 
supply  of  good  stories,  humorous  as  well  as  gruesome ;  while  the  student  of 
history,  or  rather  of  its  by-ways,  will  be  more  than  satisfied."  — Academy. 

"  I  have  not  found  a  more  interesting  book  this  year  than  Dr.  Atkinson's: 
his  careful,  faithful  cl  -^ters  on  Folklore,  Antiquities,  Manners,  and 
Customs,  and  the  rest,  ^uld  keep  you  up  far  into  the  night,  and  the  per- 
sonality they  reveal  —  shy,  learned,  kind,  and  wise  —  is  greatly  attractive." 
—  British  Weekly. 

"  That  he  is  a  born  lover  of  Nature  no  one  who  reads  the  latter  chapters, 
in  which  he  paints  the  moorland  landscape  in  its  autumn  and  winter 
beauties,  can  for  a  moment  doubt ;  but  the  greatest  merit  of  the  book  is  its 
invaluable  addition  to  our  knowledge  of  English  folklore  and  of  local 
antiquities."  —  Afitrray's  Magazine. 

Village  Sermons  preached  at  Whatley.    By  the  late  R.  W. 

Church,  M.-A..,  D.C.L.,  Dean  of  St.  Paul's.     i2mo.     $1.75. 

"  A  touching  memorial  of  the  pastoral  life  of  one  of  the  most  scholarly 
of  modern  English  Churchmen.  .  .  .  Perhaps  it  was  in  the  kindly  labours 
of  a  parish  clergyman  that  his  happiest  hours  were  spent,  and  these  sermons 
are  the  modest  but  eloquent  record  of  his  faithful  stewardship  in  that 
capacity." —  Times. 

"  The  sermons  are  ideal  village  sermons.  They  have,  to  begin  with, 
the  merit  of  brevity ;  they  are  not  too  brief,  but  just  of  sufficient  length  to 
impart  instruction  and  to  sustain  attention.  The  thinking  is  clear  as  crystal, 
and  the  language  simplicity  itself."  —  Scotsman. 

"  It  is  not  easy  to  find  a  discourse  that  will  be  helpful  to  all  alike.  In 
this  respect  these  sermons  are  models.  Dean  Church  took  the  whole  Bible 
for  his  guide  and  sought  in  language  at  once  simple  and  chaste  to  enforce 
its  great  spiritual  lessons."  —  Glasgow  Herald. 

Jerusalem:    The  Holy  City  —  Its  History  and  Hope. 

By  Mrs.  Oliphant,  author  of  "The  Makers  of  Venice,"  "Royal 
Edinburgh,"  etc.  With  50  illustrations.  New  Edition.  Crown  Svo. 
Cloth,  gilt.     $3.00. 

"  The  beauty  of  romance  is  thrown  about  the  bones  of  history  with  an 
art  which  is  Mrs.  Oliphant's  own.  It  is  beautifully  interesting;  nay,  absorb- 
ing. It  is  a  finished  telling  of  the  history  of  that  city  dear  to  all  who  love 
the  Holy  Land  and  those  who  made  it  holy.  This  volume  has  the  stamp 
of  permanent  value.  A  critical  student,  a  mistress  of  the  art  literary,  one 
seldom  excelled  in  narrative  power,  with  a  deep  reverence  and  love  for  the 
places  and  people  revivified,  Mrs.  Oliphant  is  equipped  as  few  others  to  tell 
the  story  of  Jerusalem  from  the  days  of  David  the  Shepherd  to  the  ttme  of 
the  crucifixion  of  our  Lord."  —  Boston  Times. 


MACMILLAN   &   CO., 

112  FOURTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK. 


NEW    THEOLOGICAL   BOOKS.  5 

New  and  Cheaper  Edition. 

Life  of  Archibald  Campbell  Tait,  Archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury. By  Kandai  I.  Thomas  Davidson,  D.D.,  Bishop  of 
Rochester,  late  Dean  of  Windsor,  and  William  Benham,  B.D., 
Hon.  Cano.i  of  Canterbury.     Third  Edition.     Crown  8vo.     34-00- 

"  The  book  is  valuable  and  interesting,  because  for  the  first  time  it  gives 
us  a  clear  and  authoritative  account  of  the  manner  in  which  Tait  impressed 
his  own  character  upon  the  Church  histor>  of  his  time.  How  strong  he 
was,  and  with  what  effect  he  worlced  as  a  moderating  force  between  clamour- 
ing and  violent  extremes,  will  now  be  fully  understood  for  the  first  time."  — 
Times.  ^  . '/ 

"  It  is  an  admirable  biography  in  many  ways,  and  it  contains  some  very 
important  contributions  to  the  political  history  of  our  time.  Every  man 
who  appreciates  the  vast  and  legitimate  influence  which  the  Church  of 
England  exercises  over  the  thought  and  the  polity  of  our  time  will  read  it 
carefully.  .  .  .  The  book  is  written  with  studious  care  and  sufficient  deft- 
ness. No  moderate  churchman  can  read  it  without  being  convinced  that, 
both  as  Bishop  of  London  and  as  Primate,  Tait  did  work  which  has  had 
the  happiest  results."  —  St.  Jamei  s  Gazette. 

Hew  and  Cheaper  Edition.    Uniform  with  the  Collected  Edition  of  Dean 

Church's  Miscellaneous  Works. 

The  Oxford  Movement.  Twelve  Vears,  1 833-1 845.  By 
the  late  R.  W.  Church,  D.C.L.,  Dean  of  St.  Paul's.  Globe  Svo.  $1.50. 

Dean  Chlrch's  interesting  and  valuable  book  on  the  "  Oxford 
Movement  "  was  recognised  at  once  on  its  appearance  as  an  authorita- 
tive account  of  that  important  period.  The  publishers  have  accord- 
ingly thought  it  right  to  include  the  volume  in  the  uniform  edition  of 
Dean  Church's  collected  works,  in  the  belief  that  it  would  give  addi- 
tional value  to  a  collection  which  has  already  made  for  itself  a  permanent 
place  in  English  literature. 

"  W'ill  quickly  take  its  place  among  the  most  interesting  of  the  many 
extant  accounts  of  what  is  called  '  The  Oxford  Movement.'  " —  Times. 

"  We  think  it  likely  that  by  this  work  his  name  will  be  longest  and  best 
known."  —  Pall  Af all  Gazette. 

"  It  will  always  be  regarded  as  a  most  interesting  picture  of  events  and 
an  invaluable  contribution  to  the  ecclesiastical  history  of  the  nineteenth 
century."  —  St.  jf antes' s  Gazette. 

"...  We  must  still  regard  it  as  the  calmest,  the  most  judicial,  as  well 
as  the  most  interesting,  account  of  the  Oxford  Movement  attempted  on  the 
side  of  its  sympathisers."  —  A'i?(:i?r^. 

"  A  most  valuable  contribution  to  the  religious  history  of  the  time."  — 
New  York  Tribune. 

"  Dean  Church's  volume  is  full  of  earnestness,  cogent  and  clear.  The 
ability  is  rare  which  can  treat  a  subject  of  such  nature  in  such  an  interesting 
way." — The  Sun. 

"A  volume  of  rare  attraction  for  the  student  of  the  human  mind  and  the 
currents  of  modern  thought."  —  The  Critic. 


MACMILLAN   &   CO., 

112  FOURTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK. 


6  NEIV    THEOLOGICAL   BOOR'S. 

BUXTON.  — Side-Lights   on   Bible  History.     By  Mrs. 
SiiJ.NEY  iJuxruN.     Illustrated.     Crown  8vo.     In /he press. 

CHURCH.  —  Stories  from  the  Bible.     By  the  Rev.  Prof. 
Alfred  J.  Church. 
First  Series,    with    Illustrations    after   Julius    Schnorr. 

i2mo.     $1.25. 
Second  Series,   with    Illustrations    after  Julius   Schnorr. 

i2mo.     $1.25. 

"  Of  all  the  books  of  this  kind,  this  is  the  best  we  have  seen."  —  Examiner. 

"  The  book  will  be  of  infinite  value  to  the  student  or  teacher  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  the  stories  are  well  arranged  for  interesting  reading  for  children." 
—  Boston  Traveller. 

MACMILLAN.  —  Works  by  the   Rev.  Hugh  Macmillan, 
LL.D.,  F.R.S.E. 

Bible  Teachings  in  Nature.     Fourteenth  Edition.     Globe 
8vo.     $1.50. 

The  True  Vine  ;  or,  The  Analogies  of  our  Lord's  Allegory. 

$1.50. 
The  Ministry  of  Nature.      Sixth  Edition.     Globe  8vo. 

$1.50. 

The  Sabbath  of  the  Fields.     Being  a  Sequel  to  "Bible 
Teachings  in  Nature."    Fifth  Edition.    Globe  8vo.    $1.50. 

The  Marriage  in  Cana.     Globe  8vo.     $1.50. 

Two   Worlds   are   Ours.      Second  Edition.     Globe  8vo. 

$.1.50. 

The  Olive-Leaf.     Globe  8vo.     $1.50. 

Roman  Mosaics  :  Studies  in  Rome  and  its  Neighbourhood- 
Globe  8vo.     $1.50. 

The  Gate  Beautiful  and  Other  Bible  Teachings  for  the 
Young.     i2mo.     Cloth.     $1.25. 

"  Some  of  these  chapters  are  literary  as  well  as  devotional  gems,  and  all 
are  exceptionally  excellent.  The  volume  will  make  an  appropriate  gift  for 
any  young  reader."  —  Boston  Traveller. 

"  He  uses  the  biblical  stories  as  they  were  meant  to  be  used,  and  tells 
them  with  an  inspired  gracefulness,  to  kindle  the  spark  of  faith  or  blow  it  to 
aflame."  —  Independent,  New  York. 


MACMILLAN   &   CO., 

112   FOURTH    AVENUE,   NEW   YORK. 


NEW    THEOLOGICAL   BOOKS.  7 

MACLAREN. — Works  by  Alexander  Maclaren,  D.D. 

Sermons    Preached   at   Manchester.     Eleventh  Edition. 

i6mo.     jSi.25. 

A  Second  Series.     Eighth  Edition.     ^1.25. 

A  Third  Series.     Sixth  Edition.     $1.25. 
Week-day  Evening  Addresses.    Third  Edition.    75  cents. 
The  Secret  of  Power,  and  Other  Sermons.    i6mo.    $1.25. 
A  Year's  Ministry.     First  Series.     ^^1.50. 
A  Year's  Ministry.     Second  Series.     I1.50. 
The  Life  of  David  as  Reflected  in  the  Psalms.     i6mo. 

*^1.25. 

Pictures  and  Emblems.    Being  Illustrations  Selected  from 

his  Sermons.     $1.50. 
Christ  in  the  Heart,  and  Other  Sermons.    i2mo.    ^^1.50. 

The  Holy  of  Holies.  Sermons  on  the  Fourteenth,  Fif- 
teenth, and  Sixteenth  Chapters  of  the  Gospel  of  St.  John. 
1 2  mo.     $1.50. 

The  Unchanging  Christ,  and  Other  Sermons.      i2mo. 

$1.50. 
The  God  of  the   Amen,  and  Other  Sermons.     i2mo. 

$1.50. 

"  His  sermons  are  the  very  best  of  devotional  reading.  They  are  scholarly, 
and  yet  popular  in  the  best  sense  of  the  term.  They  are  expository,  and 
yet  possess  unity  and  great  force."  —  Ensign,  Minneapolis. 

MARTINEAU.  —Works  by  James  Martineau,  D.D.,  LL.D. 

Types  of  Ethical  Theory.  New  and  Cheaper  Edition. 
In  one  volume.     i2mo.     $2.60. 

Spinoza  :  A  Study  of.  With  Portrait.  Second  Edition. 
$2.00. 

A  Study  of  Religion.  Its  Sources  and  Contents.  Amer- 
ican Edition.     Revised  by  the  Author.     2  vols.     $4.50. 


MACMILLAN    &   CO., 

112  FOURTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK. 


WORKS  BY  THE  LATE  BISHOP  LIGHTFOOT. 

Abridged  Edition  of  Bishop  Ligrhtfoot's  Apostolic  Fathers.    Just  Ready. 
8V0.    Cloth.    $4.00. 

The  Apostolic  Fathers.  Comprising  the  Epistles  (genuine 
and  spurious)  of  Clement  of  Rome,  the  Epistle  of  St. 
Ignatius,  the  Epistle  of  St.  Polycarp,  the  Martyrdom  of 
St.  Polycarp,  the  Teaching  of  the  Apostles,  the  Epistle 
of  Barnabas,  the  Shepherd  of  Hermas,  the  Epistle  to 
Diognetus,  the  Fragments  of  Papias,  the  Reliques  of  the 
Elders  preserved  in  Irenseus. 

Revised  Texts,  with  short  Introductions  and  English  Translations. 
By  the  late  J.  B.  Lightfoot,  D.D.,  D.C.L.,  LL.D.,  Lord  Bishop  of 
Durham.  Edited  and  completed  l)y  J.  R.  Harmer,  M.A.,  Fellow  of 
Corpus  Christi  College,  Cambridge,  sometime  Chaplain  to  the 
Bishop.     Published  by  the  Trustees  of  the  Lightfoot  P^und. 

St.  Paul's  Epistle  to  the  Philippians.     A  Revised  Text. 

Ninth  Edition.     8vo.     ^3.25. 

St.  Paul's  Epistle  to  the  Galatians.     A  Revised  Text, 

etc.     Ninth  Edition,  revised.     8vo.     ^3.25. 

St.  Paul's  Epistles  to  the  Colossians  and  Philemon. 

A  Revised  Text,  etc.     Eighth  Edition,  revised.     8vo.    .^3.25. 

Essays  on  the  Work  entitled  *'  Supernatural  Religion." 

8vo.     $2.50. 

Sermons  on  Special  Occasions.     Crown  8vo.    $1.7$- 
Leaders  in  the  Northern  Church.     i2mo.    $1.50. 
Cambridge  Sermons.     12 mo.    $1.75. 
Ordination  Addresses  and  Counsels  to  Clergy.     i2mo. 

•^i.75- 

Sermons  preached  in  St.  Paul's  Cathedral.  i2mo.  $1.75. 

Just  published.    New  Edition.    Crown  8vo. 

On  a  Fresh  Revision  of  the  English  New  Testament. 

By  the  same  author.     To  which  are  appended  letters  to  the  Guardian 
on  The  Lord's  Prayer.     i2mo.     $2.00. 

In  the  Press. 
Two  Volumes  of  Essays.     By  Bishop  Lightfoot.    2  vols. 

I.    Dissertations  on  the  Apostolic  Age.     Reprinted  from  Editions  of 
St.  Paul's  Epistles.     IL   Miscellaneous.     8vo. 


MACMILLAN    &   CO., 

112  FOURTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK. 


WORKS  BY  BROOKE  FOSS  WESTCOTT,   D.D.,   D.C.L., 
Bishop  of  Durham. 

A  General  Survey  of  the  History  of  the  Canon  of  the 

New    Testament    during  the    First    Four    Centuries.       Filth 
Edition,  revised.     $3.00. 

Introduction  to  the  Study  of  the  Four  Gospels.    Seventh 

Edition.     $3.00.     Ainerican  Edition.     $2.25. 

The  Gospel  of  the  Resurrection.     Thoughts  on  its  rela- 
tion to  Reason  and  History.     Fifth  Edition,  revised.     i?i.75. 

The  Bible  in  the   Church.     A  Popular  Account  of  the 

Collection  and  Reception  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.      i8mo.    $1.25. 

On  the  Religious  Office  of  the  Universities.     Sermons. 

^1.50. 

The  Revelation  of  the  Risen  Lord.    Second  Ed.    $1.75. 

The   Historic  Faith.      Short   Lectures    on    the   Apostles' 
Creed.     $1.75. 

The  Epistles  of  St.  John.     The  Greek  Text,  with  Notes 

and  Essays.     8vo.     New  Edition.     Reprinting. 

The  Revelation  of  the  Father.     Short  Lectures  on  the 

Titles  of  the  Lord  in  the  Gospel  of  St.  John.     $1.50. 

Gifts  for  Ministry.     Addresses  to  Candidates  for  Ordina- 
tion.    Cloth,  limp.     50  cents. 

Christus  Consummator,  etc.     $1.50. 

Thoughts   on   Revelation   and   Life.      Being  Selections 

from  his  Writint^s.     *5i-75. 

Social  Aspects  of  Christianity.     $1.50. 

The  Victory  of  the  Cross.     Sermons  during  Holy  Week, 
1888.    $1.25. 

The    Epistle    to  the  Hebrews.      The   Greek  Text,  with 

Notes  and  Essays.     Svo.     Rtprinling. 

From  Strength  to  Strength.     Three  Sermons  on  Stages 

in  a  Consecrated  Life.     In  Memoriam,  J.  B.  D.      i2nio.     75  cents. 

Essays  on  the  History  of  Religious  Thought  in  the 

West.     By  Brooke  Foss  Westcott,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  Durham,  etc. 
Globe  Svo.     $1.75. 

MACMILLAN   &   CO., 

112  FOURTH   AVENUE,   NEW   YORK. 

9 


DEVOTIONAL   BOOKS. 

EASTLAKE  ( Lady) .  —  Fellowship :  Letters  addressed  to 

my  sister  mourners.     Crown  8vo.     75  cents. 

GELL.  — The  Cloud  of  Witness:  A  Daily  Sequence  of 
Great  Thouglits  from  Many  Minds  following  the  Christian  Seasons. 
By  the  Hon.  Lvitleton  Gell.     i8mo.     $1.25. 

Imitation  of  Christ.  —  Four  Books.    By  Thomas  a  Kempis. 

With  an  Introductory  Essay  on  the  Authorship  of  the  Work,  and 
an  Engraved  Portrait  from  Contemporary  Sources.  Red  lines,  cloth, 
gilt  edges.     i2mo.     ^1.50. 

KINGSLEY    (Charles).— Out    of  the  Deep:  Words   for 

the  Sorrowful.  From  the  Writings  of  Charles  Kingsley.  Extra 
fcap.  8vo.     $1.50. 

Daily  Thoughts  :  Selected  from  the  Writings  of  Charles 
Kingsley.     By  his  wife.     Crown  8vo.     $2.00. 

From  Death  to  Life  :  Fragments  of  Teaching  to  a  Village 
Congregation.  With  Letters  on  the  "Life  after  Death."  Edited 
by  his  wife.     Fcap.  8vo.     75  cents. 

MACLEAR  (Rev.  Canon).  —  A  Manual  of  Instruction 
for  Confirmation  and  First  Communion,  with  Prayers  and 
Devotions.     32mo.     75  cento. 

The  Hour  of  Sorrow  ;  or,  The  Office  for  the  Burial  of  the 

Dead.     32mo.     75  cents. 

MAURICE    (Frederick   Denison). — Lessons   of   Hope: 

Readings  from  the  works  of  F.  D.  Maurice.  Selected  by  Rev. 
J.  Ll.  Davies,  M.A.     Crown  8vo.     $1.50. 

Rays  of  Sunlight  for  Dark  Days.     With  a  Preface  by 

Very  Rev.  C.  J.  Vaughan,  D.D.     New  Edition.      iSmo.     $1.00. 

WELBY-GREGORY    (The    Hon.    Lady).— Links    and 

Clues.      Second  Edition.     Crown  8vo.     ^2.00. 

WESTCOTT  (Right  Rev.  R.  F.,  Bishop  of  Durham).— 
Thoughts  on  Revelation  and  Life.  Selections  from  the  writings 
of  Bishop  Westcott.     Edited  by  Rev.  S.  Piiillu'S.     Crown  8vo. 

WILBRAHAM  (Frances  M.).  —  In  the  Sere  and  Yellow 

Leaf :  Thoughts  and  Recollections  for  Old  and  Young.  Globe  8vo. 
^i.oo. 


MACMILLAN    &  CO., 

112  FOURTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK. 


NEIV    THEOLOGICAL    BOOK'S.  11 

CANON  BERNARD.  —The  Central  Teaching  of  Christ. 

Being  a  Study  and  Exposition  of  St.  John,  Chapters  XIII. 
to  XVII.  inckisive.  Crown  8vo.  By  the  Rev.  T.  D. 
Bernard,  Canon  of  Wells.     In  the  press. 

BEVAN.  —  A  Short  Commentary  on  the  Book  of  Daniel. 

Yox  the  Use  of  Students.  [5y  A.  A.  Bevan,  M.A.,  Fellow 
of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge.     8vo.     $2.00. 

"  The  merits  of  his  bookaie  frankness  and  lucidity,  accuracy  of  facts  and 
soundness  of  judgment.  Altogether  tliis  is  the  most  valuable  philological 
work  on  a  book  of  the  Old  Testament  which  we  have  had  for  a  long  time." 
—  T.  K.  Cheyne,  in  the  Academy. 

BROOKE  (Stopford  A.).  — Short  Sermons.    i2mo.  i^i.ys. 

"  Mr.  Stopford  Brooke  has  really  something  to  say,  and  he  says  it  in  the 
brightest  way.  His  manner  is  as  good  as  his  matter.  There  is  not  a  single 
commonplace  or  conventional  sentiment  in  the  volume."  —  Glasgow 
Herald. 

"  They  are  in  the  best  sense  moral  discourses,  provoking  to  love,  self- 
sacrifice,  devotion,  and  good  works."  —  Scotsman. 

KIRKPATRICK.— The  Divine  Library  of  the  Old 
Testament.  Lectures  delivered  at  St.  Asaph  by  the  Rev. 
Professor  Kirkpatrick.     i2mo.     $1.00. 

"This  book  of  150  pages  we  commend  to  those  of  our  readers  w-ho  do 
not  wish  to  study  the  higher  criticism,  but  to  get  in  compact  form  a  state- 
ment of  its  results." —  Christian  Uiiton. 

MAURICE.  —  Sermons  Preached  in  Lincoln's  Inn 
ChapeL  By  Frederick  Denison  Maurice.  New  Edition 
in  six  volumes.  i2mo.  $1.25  each.  The  set  in  a  box, 
$7.50. 

PEROWNE.  —  The  Book  of  Psalms.  A  new  Translation, 
with  Introduction,  and  Notes  explanatory  and  critical. 
By  J.  J.  Stewart  Perowne,  D.D.     2  vols.     $5.00. 

Abridged  Edition,  one  vol.,  S3.00. 

STOKES.  —  Natural  Theology.  The  Gifford  Lectures 
delivered  before  the  University  of  Edinburgh  in  1891. 
By  Professor  Sir  G.  G.  Stokes,  Bart.,  M.P.    i2mo.    $1.50. 


MACMILLAN    &   CO., 

112  FOURTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK. 


BOHN'S  ECCLESIASTICAL  AND  THEOLOGICAL  LIBRARY. 

BLEEK.  —  Introduction  to   the   Old   Testament.      By 

Friedrich  Bleek.  Edited  by  Johann  Bleek  and  Adolph  Kam- 
PHAUSEN.  Translated  from  the  second  edition  of  the  German  by 
G.  H.  Venables.     With  Index.     2  vols.     Each,  ^1.50. 

CHILLINGWORTH'S  Religion  of  Protestants.    A  Safe 

Way  to  Salvation.     Index,     ^i.oo. 

EUSEBIUS.  — Ecclesiastical  History  of  Eusebius  Pam- 

philius,  Bishop  of  Cpesarea.  With  Notes,  a  Life  of  Eusebius,  a 
Chronological  Table  of  Persons  and  Events  mentioned  in  the  History. 
Index.     #1.50. 

HARDWICK.  —  History  of  the  Articles  of  Religion; 

to  which  is  added  a  Series  of  Documents  from  A.D.  1536  to  a.d. 
1 61 5,  together  with  Illustrations  from  Contemporary  Sources.  By 
the  late  C.  Hardwick.     i2mo.     ^1.50. 

HENRY'S    (MATrHEw)    Exposition    of    the    Book    of 

Psalms.  With  Practical  Remarks  and  Observations.  With  numer- 
ous Woodcuts.     ^1.50. 

PEARSON    (John,  D.D.).— Exposition  of  the  Creed. 

Edited  by  E.  Walford,  M.A.  With  Notes,  an  Analysis,  Index, 
and  Indexes  of  Texts  and  Authors  quoted.     ^1.50. 

PHILO-JUD^US,  Works  of.  The  Contemporary  of 
Josephus.  Translated  from  the  Greek  by  C.  D.  YoNGE,  B.A.  With 
Index.     4  vols.     Each,  ^1.50. 

SOCRATES  (surnamed  "ScHOLASTicus"),The  Ecclesias- 
tical History  of.  Comprising  a  history  of  the  Church  in  Seven  Books, 
from  the  Accession  of  Constantine,  A.D.  305,  to  the  38th  year  of 
Theodosius  II.,  including  a  period  of  140  years.     ^1.50. 

SOZOMEN'S  Ecclesiastical  History  Comprising  a  His- 
tory of  the  Church  from  A.D.  324-440.  Together  with  the  Eccle- 
siastical History  of  Philostorgius,  as  epitomised  by  Photius, 
Patriarch  of  Constantinople.  Translated  from  the  Greek  by  Rev.  E. 
Walford,  M.A.     #1.50. 

THEODORET  and  EVAGRIUS.  —  Histories  of  the 
Church  from  A.D.  332  to  the  Death  of  Theodore  of  Mopsuestia, 
A.D.  427;  and  from  A.D.  431  to  A.D.  544.  Translated  from  the 
Greek.     With  Memoirs  of  Authors  and  a  General  Index.     $1.50. 

WIESELER'S  (Karl)  Chronological  Synopsis  of  the 

Four  Gospels.  Translated  by  the  Rev.  Canon  Venables.  Second 
and  cheaper  Edition,  revised.     ^1.50. 


Send  address  for  Alacmillan  dr"  Coh  complete  catalogue,  including 
the  works  issued  by  the  Oxford  Clarendon  Press,  the  Cambridge  Uni- 
versity Press,  J\fessrs.  George  Bell  &•  Sons,  and  the  Bohn  Libraries,  to 

MACMILLAN   &   CO., 

112    FOURTH    AVENUE,   NEW   YORK. 
12 


Date  Due 

fACUil] 

f 

1 

f 

lWt   \     .    • 

' .  _) 

,--.-^^-*** 

^ 

A 


% 


f..Z^-^*^\ 


,'-f 


-    t^ 


'A*-'^; 


